Owls Softball Downs Cortland in NCAA Opener, 2-1
Westfield State’s Rylie Camacho and Hannah Wodecki smashed first inning homers to power the Owls
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BETHLEHEM, PA -- Westfield State's Rylie Camacho (Attleboro, Mass.) and Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass.) smashed first inning homers to power the Owls and pitchers Joss Mettey (Easthampton, Mass.) and Angelina Vartuli (Middletown, Conn.) made those two runs stand up as the #10/21 ranked Owls downed Cortland State, 2-1 in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournament at Blue and Grey Field at Moravian University on Thursday.
Camacho lined a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence, and one batter later, Hannah Wodecki laced one just over and just inside the left field foul pole for a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
"I was just looking for the pitch that coach always talks about, and I was just trying to hit a line drive," said Camacho.
"It was really nice to know that I had my team behind me," said Mettey about the early run support. "I think the hitters work really hard, and they will back us up as pitchers and do what they gotta do."
That was all the offense the Owls would generate, but starter Joss Mettey (W, 13-1) worked through the fourth inning allowing just a solo home run to left by Cortland's Maggie Cummings in the fourth inning. Sophomore Angelina Vartuli came in to get the final nine outs for her fourth save of the season.
After a 1-2-3 first inning for Mettey, the Owls pitchers effectively worked around runners each of the next six innings. Mettey induced a 6-4-3 double play ball from Shannon Scotto to end the second inning, and the Red Dragons stranded two runners in the third with Shelby Lamont hitting a bouncer back to Mettey to end the third.
The game "was a little intense, but we definitely trust our defense and our pitchers," said Camacho.
In the fifth, Cortland leadoff hitter Laila Smith hit a ball to the left field corner, but was cut down trying to stretch the hit into a double as Kassidy LaTour's (Lebanon, Conn.) throw was relayed by Sarah Hough (Southwick, Mass.) to Camacho for the tag. Smith doubled in the top of the seventh, but Vartuli got Katie Stork to pop to third to end the game. No Cortland runner advanced as far as third in the game.
Westfield stranded seven runners of their own, popping into a double play with two on to end the second, stranding two after a Camacho walk and a Cortland error set the table in the third, and leaving single runners aboard in the fifth and sixth.
The tightly played game, "It's the same scenario we have had all year, just really proud of our players," said Westfield State head coach Joe Hough. We talk about the Westfield way, how we do things, the Westfield way Is throw the ball over the plate, play good defense and timely hitting. You're always nervous at these things … The first two hitters that hit it out the park, they weren't trying to hit it out, that wasn't the plan, but the fact the we were relaxed and doing our Westfield way stuff made all the difference."
Westfield (39-1) advances in the winner's bracket to play at 11:00 am tomorrow against host Moravian, a 6-2 winner over Bowdoin in the second game today. Cortland (25-16) will face Bowdoin in an elimination game at 1:30 on Friday. Westfield won their 13th straight game.
Cortland starter Gianna Endieveri (L, 11-8) settled in well after the first inning, allowing three hits, walking four and striking out seven.
Mettey tossed four innings to get the win, allowing five hits and one run while walking one. Vartuli allowed two hits in her three innings , struck out two and walked one. Lyla Dwyer (Hopewell Jct., NY) was the lone repeat hitter for the Owls. Wodecki's home run was the 19th of her career, extending her school-record total.
Westfield's win in the tournament was their first since the inaugural NCAA D3 Tournament in 1982 when the Owls advanced to the College World Series, and the Owls are back in the tournament for the first time since 1983.
"It was great to get on the field and start playing softball," said Hough. "There is a lot going on here. This is all uncharted territory. The fact that we won this game, its good for our fans back home, it's good for our future, it's going to be good for recruiting, its going to be good for everything, and to have our seniors going out this way is pretty cool.
"It's wicked cool," said Mettey.
"My first year at my old school was kind of tough for me," said Mettey, who transferred in as a sophomore. "So to bounce back, and be here now is really awesome."
