FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Clark University softball team closed out its 2020 spring break trip on a high note as the Cougars run-ruled Anna Maria, 9-1, to split their doubleheader after falling to North Central in game one on Saturday morning.

The Basics

Score: Cardinals 5, Cougars 3 (Game One) | Cougars 9, Amcats 1 (Game Two)

Records: Clark University (7-5) | North Central (4-1) | Anna Maria (0-1)

How it Happened

Cardinals 5, Cougars 3 – Game One

Samantha Restrepo-Stier (Davie, Fla.) continued her solid performances at the dish with the first-year picking up her second multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 performance including a triple and a double while driving in a pair.

Kaylee Armida (Pine Bush, N.Y.) and Kaylee Gibson (Northfield, Mass.) each finished with a base knock apiece while Armida contributed a run scored. Junior Isabella DiOrio (Lincoln, R.I.) tossed five innings in the circle, surrendering 10 hits and three earned runs while rounding out the Cougars five-hit day offensively with a 1-for-2 showing at the dish.

After a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the first, North Central wasted no time grabbing a lead as a double from Elena Stevenson brought in Molly Cann from second base with the game's first run. Clark would respond in the top of the second inning as a walk to Jessica Martin (Winthrop, Mass.) was followed up by a one-out triple from Restrepo-Stier.

The Cardinals gained control in the bottom the third as a three-hit inning allowed them to push across a pair on back-to-back RBI singles by Gianna Corban and Andrea Richards. North Central increased its lead in the fifth as an RBI double from Richards and an RBI single off the bat of Samantha Gadomski made it a 5-1 score.

Clark responded with a run of its own in the top of the sixth as Christina Kopacz (North Grosvenordale, Conn.) reached on a two-out error before Restrepo-Stier delivered again for the Cougars, this time rifling an RBI double to cut into the deficit.

The Cougars wouldn't quit, striking for another run in the bottom of the seventh as Armida swatted a lead-off single before Gibson dropped down a bunt single to put two runners aboard. With no outs in the inning, a liner from JC Urella (North Grafton, Mass.) caused a double play but allowed Armida to scamper in before a flyout ended the contest with the 5-3 final.

Cougars 9, Amcats 1 – Game Two

The Cougars notched their third mercy-rule win in four games to close out the trip as the ten-hit attack was led by a 3-for-3 game from Gibson and a 2-for-3 performance from Olivia Capobianco (North Attleboro, Mass.) with the pair combining for two runs scored and three RBI. Additionally, Martin finished with a game-high two RBI while Kopacz roped her first homer of the season to highlight the seven players to produce a hit.

Senior Sarah Woods (Littleton, Mass.) was strong in the circle en route to her second win of the season, going the distance of five innings while allowing just three hits and one earned run with a season-high six strikeouts.

Clark began the game with a bang as the team pushed across four runs in the first with Capobianco stealing home for the third time this season while Restrepo-Stier ripped her third extra-base hit of the day to bolster the frame for the 4-0 advantage.

The momentum rolled into the bottom of the second with a double-steal as Kelsey Joyce (Leominster, Mass.) led the inning with a single before later swiping home herself to make it a 5-0 score. Later in the frame, Urella tacked on another as a grounder allowed Capobianco to come in with the sixth run.

After Anna Maria cut into the lead to make it 6-1, the Cougars went back to work as Kopacz launched a lead-off homer for the second long ball of her career. Clark scored a run in the fourth and fifth innings with Martin bringing in Eliza Lindberg (East Chatham, N.Y.) before an RBI single from Capobianco gave the Cougars the 9-1 final.

Up Next

The Cougars return to New England and are set to travel to Brandies for a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 14 at 12:00 PM and 2:0