Game 1 | Game 2
KENT, Ohio – The University of Dayton softball team traded wins with the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Sunday at the Diamond at Dix in Kent, Ohio. The teams were playing at Kent State University due to field conditions in Olean, N.Y. UD (12-16, 4-4 A-10) lost the first game 11-8 and won the second 11-5.
Junior Lauren Nacke pounded the ball for Dayton, putting up five RBI off of two home runs and five total hits in the doubleheader. Nacke helps inch UD closer to the school’s single-season home run mark of 30 after hitting her eighth and ninth homers of the season.
Freshman Alysha Isaacson was strong at the plate and in the circle for the Red and Blue. Isaacson had two RBI and one home run. She also earned her seventh (7-5) win of the year, pitching a complete game against the Bonnies with three strikeouts.
Catcher Courtney Kutsulis also had a home run. Hitting in the nine-spot, Kutsulis homered in the fourth inning of the second game, on the heels of Isaacson’s home run in the previous at-bat.
Junior Amanda Daly was dealt the loss in the first game. Daly pitched four innings of relief, striking out three while allowing seven earned runs. Sarah Wedel started the game and Isaacson saw 1.2 innings of relief work for Daly.
Nacke unleashed a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to put the Flyers ahead 2-0 in the first game. However, four earned runs in the bottom half of the inning allowed St. Bonaventure to creep ahead 4-2.
Dayton recaptured the lead with a huge five-run second inning. Jenna Lopes was walked to score Megan Barrett. A pair of groundouts to second base scored two more runs for UD. Kutsulis scored on a passed ball, and junior Brandy Brown singled to right center, scoring Kathleen Maloof to tack on the Flyers’ fifth run of the inning.
Rachel Archer singled up the middle in the third inning, scoring Shelby Pohlman, however Archer was nabbed at second trying to claim an extra base on the base hit.
The Bonnies chimed in a combined seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings to reclaim the lead and seal the victory, 11-8.
In the second game the Flyers jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished their advantage over the course of the game.
In what must have been déjà vu for the Bonnies, Nacke tee’d off on her second home run of the day. She belted the ball to left field for another two-run home run to open the scoring for Dayton.
With a two-run advantage in the fourth, Isaacson uncorked a solo home run to center field. Kutsulis followed suit in the very next at-bat ripping hers over the left field wall to give UD a 4-0 lead.
Barrett had an RBI-single in the fifth inning, in which she capitalized on a fielding error by SBU to advance her to third. Dana Trotta drove Barrett home on a fielding error which put the Flyers ahead 6-0.
The Bonnies came roaring back in the bottom half of the fifth inning, posting four runs to come within two of Dayton. However, the Flyers were able to hold off the Bonaventure attack, driving home five runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Trotta doubled down the left field line to open the seventh inning. Isaacson brought her home with an infield base hit for her second RBI of the day. Emily Stegeman grounded out scoring Isaacson. Maloof doubled to left center field and Nacke singled to left center to score three more runs.
St. Bonaventure added one run in the bottom half of the seventh en route to the loss.
Dayton returns to the friendly confines of UD Softball Stadium for its first live streamed games of the season this week. The Flyers will play host to the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday in a midweek twinbill. First pitch for the doubleheader is scheduled for 3 p.m.
