Morgan Rentzheimer	Jennifer Sweeney
Megan Zinn	Casey DeSarno

Box Score vs. Delaware Valley / Box Score vs. New England

CLERMONT, Fla. – The University of Scranton softball team opened the 2018 season with a pair of victories in Florida on Saturday.  The Royals (2-0) shutout Delaware Valley 6-0 in Saturday's season opener before posting a 7-3 win over New England in their second contest of the day.

Game 1 vs. Delaware Valley

In Saturday's season opener against the Delaware Valley (1-1), Morgan Rentzheimer (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) tossed a complete game, two-hitter to lead Scranton to the 6-0 victory.  The senior struck out 10 batters while limiting the Aggies to just a pair of singles.

The Royals broke open a scoreless contest with four runs in the bottom of the third inning.  Megan Zinn (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) got the scoring started with an RBI base hit before Jennifer Sweeney (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) delivered a two-run single.  Rentzheimer then helped out her own caused with an RBI groundout to a make it a 4-0 game.

Scranton added a pair of runs in the fifth inning as Casey DeSarno (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Shannon Rattigan (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay) scored on a wild pitch.

Sweeney, Kaitlyn Brogan (Oreland, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), and Mackenzie Duffy (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) had two hits apiece for the Royals, who totaled nine hits as a team in the victory. 

Game 2 vs. New England

In the Royals' second game of the day vs. New England (2-9), Scranton plated four runs in the final two innings to break open a tie game with the Pilgrims on the way to a 7-3 victory.

Maggie Donnelly (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Academy) gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on an RBI groundout before Zinn connected on a two-run home run to left field to an inning later to give Scranton a 3-0 advantage.

New England got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the third before tying the contest at three-apiece with an unearned run in the home fourth.

The Royals went back in front in the visitor's sixth when Allie Hotchkiss (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) came around to score on an error following a Rentzheimer sacrifice. 

Scranton put the game out of reach with a three-run seventh as DeSarno hit a two-run single before Brianna Lehr (Byram Township, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) drew a bases-loaded walk to close out the scoring.

Duffy went 3-3 with two doubles and a pair of runs scored while DeSarno went 3-4 with two RBI to lead the Royals' offense

Sweeney tossed a complete game in her first collegiate start, yielding just one earned run on seven hits while striking out five batters.

Up Next

Scranton will return to be back in action on Sunday with a pair of games, taking on St. Mary's (Ind.) at 2:00 p.m. followed by a 4:30 p.m. contest against Transylvania.

--ROYALS--