NEW YORK, N.Y. – The University of Scranton softball team (1-1) notched a 10-7 victory in the nightcap to salvage a split of a season-opening doubleheader with the NYU Violets (1-1) on Saturday evening at Fordham University.

Scranton dropped a 5-3 decision in game one before exploding for 10 runs in the game two victory.

NYU 5, Scranton 3

The Violets grabbed an early 5-0 lead with three runs in the first and two in the third en route to the 5-3 win in game one.

The Royals mounted a rally with three runs in the top of the fifth as junior Jessica Stadler (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) plated a run with an RBI groundout and sophomore Alyssa Mosconi (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) delivered a two-run double that cut the lead to 5-3.

Freshman Soleil Dooner (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) made her first career start in the circle for the Royals and allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits while fanning five in a complete game effort.

Madi Hand drove in three runs in the afore-mentioned early innings for NYU as she delivered an RBI single in the first and a two-run homer in the third.

Marina Egbert gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits to go along with four walks and nine strikeouts in 7.0 IP to pick up the win for the Violets.

Scranton 10, NYU 7

The Royals raced out to an early lead in the nightcap with four runs in the first and held on for a 10-7 victory in game two.

Stadler plated the first run of the game with an RBI double and later scored on an RBI single by junior Sarah Stepnowski (Monroe Twp., N.J./Monroe). Two more runs would cross the plate in the inning and the visitors led 4-1 after one.

NYU battled back and cut the lead to 4-3 with two runs in the third before senior Jenna Davida (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown North) delivered an RBI triple in the fourth and sophomore Kylie Rochford (Tinton Falls, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) came through with a two-run double as part of a four-run fifth inning that gave the Royals a 9-3 lead at the time.

Mosconi added a run in the sixth with an RBI groundout and Scranton was able to hold off a late NYU rally in the seventh when Dooner came on in relief of sophomore Emma Tirollo (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional) to get the final three outs.

Tirollo surrendered six earned runs and struck out five in her six plus innings of work to pick up her first win of the season.

Stepnowski tallied three hits to lead the way offensively and the duo of Davida and Rochford added two apiece.

Scranton is back in action on Mar. 11 in Myrtle Beach with non-conference matchups against UMass-Boston and Methodist.

--ROYALS--