Dayton Flyers

Ball State Box | Niagara Box

OXFORD, Ohio – Senior pitcher Sarah Wedel pitched a one-hit shutout as the University of Dayton softball team (9-11) rolled to a 9-0 victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles (4-13) in five innings. Dayton lost in its first game of the day, 6-0 to the Ball State Cardinals (14-7).

Wedel (4-2) pitched five innings, striking out three and walking one against Niagara. Sophomore Alysha Isaacson started the first game. Isaacson (1-5) pitched 2.1 innings and had one strikeout while allowing five earned runs against Ball State. Junior Sydney Cicchetti pitched 4.2 innings of relief and allowed one earned run.

Against Niagara, senior Brandy Brown was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Sophomore Dana Trotta had three RBI, including a double and a home run in a 2-for-3 game against the Purple Eagles. Freshman Tiffany Ricks was clutch once again in her pinch hit appearance. Ricks had a two-run base hit for UD in the win.

The Flyers came out swinging against Niagara. Isaacson and Mariano each doubled in the top of the first inning, putting them on second and third base. Brown drove home Isaacson on a single to left field. Pinch-runner Leah Sitter also scored on the play after a throwing error by Niagara’s left fielder. UD tacked on a third run, as Megan Barrett reached on an error allowing Brown to score.

With the bases loaded, Ricks hammered a pinch-hit two-run single in the fourth inning. In the next at-bat, it was Trotta’s turn to drive in two runs, this time on a double to right field.

UD added runs in the fourth and the fifth inning to increase its final margin to 9-0.

Dayton dropped the first game on Saturday to Ball State 6-0. The Cardinals put up five runs in the top of the third inning due in large part to Jennifer Gilbert’s two-RBI triple. Taylor Rager’s RBI single added the sixth and final run for Ball State.

Dayton will play its final game of the Miami Invitational at 4 p.m. on Sunday against the tournament host Miami RedHawks.