CLAREMONT- The Stevens Cardinals improved to 11-2 on the season with a surgical-type win Thursday over Kearsarge, 14-2 due to timely hitting, smart base-running and a strong pitching performance from Morgan Rhoades.
Kearsarge opened up the game with a bang, scoring 2 runs as Madison Neal’s home run opened the eyes of the Cardinals. After that, it was all Stevens, as freshman pitcher, Rhoades, shut the door quickly on the visiting Cougars.
After Neal’s smash in the top of the first, the Cardinals answered back as Ashlynn Marsh scored the first Stevens run off the bat of a sacrifice fly from Tanner Brown. The Cardinals would take the lead in the second as Madison Lapsley and Ryann Ryder posted runs for Stevens after a Kearsarge throwing error. Shannon Breault kept the Cardinals batters off balance with an assortment of different pitches but Marsh and Jenna Pond reached base with no outs in the top of the third and would eventually score along with Brown to put the Cardinals ahead, 6-2.
“I hadn’t pitched in a couple of games and maybe it was butterflies in the first inning but I was happy to see my teammates put some runs on the scoreboard to help me out,” said winning pitcher Rhoades after the game. Her teammates would do that and then some, as the Cardinals exploded for 8 more runs to close the game out after 5 innings. Stevens sent 9 batters to the plate in the 4th innings as Rhoades helped her own cause with a sharp single, as she along with Marsh and Pond would score in the inning. Brown’s single in the 5th capped off the win for Missy Nichols’ squad. “I had lots of players in different positions today as we near the playoffs, you just never know when someone will be needed to jump into a different position and today was a great team,” said Nichols after the game. Stevens collected 7 hits today, all singles while Kearsarge collected 5 hits. Emily Folcik had two hits while Neal and Samantha Meadows both had singles.
Stevens hits on the day came off the bats of Rhoades, Marsh, Makayla Maccioli, Kate Chambers, Brown, Lapsley and Alexis Ford. Marsh crossed the plate 4 times on Thursday. Stevens will take their 11-2 record on the road Friday as they head to Hanover while Kearsarge will host Campbell.
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