MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Webster University opened its 2020 softball season here Saturday morning with a hard-fought 4-1 setback to Centre College in the first game of the Maryville College Invitational held at the MC Softball Complex.
The Gorloks, who open the season 0-1, will continue play in the two-day season opening event by facing the host school, Maryville College in a 2 p.m. ET game Saturday afternoon.
In the opener against Centre, the Gorloks outhit the Colonels, 4-3, but couldn't overcome a three-run inning in the top of first from Centre to drop its season opener for the second straight season.
The Colonels sent eight hitters to the plate in the first inning as they recorded just one hit, but drew three walks and took advantage of wild pitch and a hit batsman from junior pitcher
Morgan Parrish (Lawrenceville, Ill./Parkland College) to plate three runs, including an unearned run when junior shortstop
Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College) committed an error on a dropped fly ball in the infield.
Webster picked up its first hit of the season in the bottom of the first on a single to center off the bat of junior rightfielder
Anna Muecke (Lueneburg, Germany/Spartanburg Methodist). Muecke, though, would be erased as she was trying to steal second base.
Centre put another runner in scoring position in the second on a walk, a wild pitch and passed ball, but Parrish would leave that runner at third after forcing Mary-Carter Downing to ground out.
Sophomore second baseman
Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin) would draw a one-out walk in the second, but was left stranded after Colonels pitcher Amanda Morgan retired the next two Gorloks in order.
Webster would finally dent the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning as senior third baseman
Avery Boccella (Gilbert, Ariz./Trinidad State) led off the frame with a homer over the fence in left.
Centre, though, get that run back in the top of the fourth thanks to a single, two walks and a RBI single up the middle by Abigail Harper off of Parrish.
From that point, neither team would have any base runners until the bottom of the seventh when sophomore designated player
Renee Ruelas (San Bernardino, Calif./Grand Terrace) drew a lead off walk and Boccella followed with single that put runners on first and third with no outs. The next Gorloks, though, lined out and then after sophomore shortstop
Sheyla Iniguez (Riverside, Calif./Bloomington) drew a walk to load the bases, senior
Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State), who was running for Ruelas, was thrown out at home trying to steal to end the game.
Boccella paced Webster's offense with two of their four hits, while the other hits came from Muecke and senior centerfielder
Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad).
Harper, Rileyanne Sharp and Haley Simon each had a hit for the Colonels.
Parrish (0-1) took the loss in the circle for the Gorloks as she tossed four innings in her Webster debut and allowed three hits and four runs (three earned), while walking seven and striking out one. Freshman Alexandra Cafolla (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood West) pitched two hitless and scoreless innings in relief and recorded two walk and two strikeouts.
Amanda Morgan (1-0) earned the win for the Colonels as she pitched five innings and allowed two hits and one run, while walking one and fanning three. Alana Fullen picked up the save as she pitched the final two innings and walked two and didn't record a strikeout.
