FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 7, 2016) – A 10-run, 12-hit inning sparked the bats of the Drew University softball team as the Rangers erased a 5-0 deficit to defeat Eastern Nazarene College, 14-7, and improve to 2-2 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
 
The Rangers swept a pair of game on their second day of competition, beating Northland College, 5-2, earlier in the day before the bats exploded in the nightcap. Northland falls to 1-5, while Eastern Nazarene drops its record to 2-2.
 
Up next is a pair of morning games against Swarthmore College (9:00 a.m.) and Clark University (11:00 a.m.) at North Collier Regional Park in Naples, Fla.
 
Drew Bats Come Alive in Wild Come-From-Behind Slugfest
 
Down 5-0, and later 6-2, the Rangers put together a rally for the ages in the sixth inning to complete a Day 2 sweep at the Gene Cusic Classic. The Rangers sent 14 batters to the plate in the frame, stringing together 12 hits and pushing 10 across the plate to take its first lead of the game.
 
Sophomore Lauren Mastropierro remained red hot in Game 2 after going 4-for-4 in the morning game. Here she went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to pace the Rangers' offense. Sophomore Heather Ronchi and Danielle Martinez also picked up three hits apiece in Drew's 19-hit attack. Every hitter that stepped up to the dish recorded at least one hit, including junior pitcher Emma Agostini's two-run triple, her second three-bagger of the season. Sophomore left fielder Brooke Adams batted 2-for-4 with four RBIs, all of which came in the explosive bottom of the sixth.
 
All of this run support aided Agostini's first win on the mound after pitching seven innings and allowing seven hits, seven runs (four earned), two walks and striking out three.
 
Facing the early 5-0 deficit that the Lions built over the first two innings, Drew chipped away in the bottom of the second when freshman catcher Alexarae Rizzo launched an RBI double to centerfield. Drew made it 5-2 when Mastropierro kept her bat hot with a well-placed RBI single up the middle.
 
The Lions extended the advantage to 6-2 an inning later, but again Mastropierro had the answer with yet another hit and another RBI. Agostini, who totaled three RBIs in support of her own start, also added a run-scoring groundout that inning as Drew trailed 6-4. Each time Drew would creep closer, however, the Lions would respond with a run. Eastern Nazarene squeaked an unearned run across to go up 7-4 in the top of sixth.
 
Fittingly, Mastropierro's RBI single in the sixth went down as the game-winner, putting Drew ahead for good, 8-7. Six different Rangers knocked in runs in the 10-run frame.
 
Budner Gets First Win on Mound After Solid Start
 
Freshman pitcher Bethany Budner went seven strong, allowing four hits and two unearned runs to earn her first career victory with a 5-2 triumph over Northland. She struck out six in the win to up her season total to nine through two starts.
 
The aforementioned red-hot Mastropierro went 4-for-4 and scored three runs to back Budner's start. Freshman center fielder Katie Grodski knocked an important two-run double to open scoring in the second, while freshman third baseman Sammie Booth, Martinez and Ronchi all picked up a pair of hit apiece.
 
Drew hopped on the Lumberjills' starter early with a three-run second inning batting as the away team. Grodski's two-run double plated Booth and Mastropierro, and she would later score the third run on a wild pitch.
 
The Jills got two hits on Budner in the fourth, but two errors led to two unearned runs as Northland got themselves back in the game down 4-2. Budner rebounded nicely in the fifth with a 1-2-3 innings, allowing Drew the chance to pad the lead in the sixth.
 
They did just that as Mastropierro led off with her fourth hit of the game before Drew went on to load the bases. Junior right fielder Phylicia Pellot drew a bases loaded walk for the RBI that put the Rangers up 5-2, the eventual final score.
 
Budner retired the last 11 Northland hitters in order with three strikeouts to seal up her first victory on a collegiate mound.