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CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Fri., March 21, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Softball

Devils take two on opening day

CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- — Fredonia State Blue Devils head coach Lorrie Corsi couldn't ask for a better start from his softball team than the one he received Friday.

In the season opener, Fredonia State soundly defeated Rutgers-Newark, 14-2, behind a 13-hit performance.

Freshman Kristy Sheridan (Buffalo/Mount Mercy) led the offensive attack with two hits, including a triple and a home run, enroute to six RBIs. Meanwhile, freshman Maria Siderakis (Webster/Webster-Thomas) had two hits with a triple, freshman Jessica Cole (Hobart/South Kortright) hit a two-run homer, while sophomore Bree Crossett (Wayland/Wayland-Cohochton), sophomore Jessica Thompson (Falconer), and sophomore Andrea Devon (Elmira/Notre Dame) each contributed two hits.

"This is one of the better hitting teams we have had in a long time," Corsi told the Dunkirk Observer. "We hit the ball hard all day. The nice thing is we have a few new players and they performed at a high level."

Devon, the starting pitching, went three innings with three strikeouts, three walks and one hit. Freshman Adrianna Connell (Geneva) pitched the final two innings, walked two, allowed two runs and one hit.

Both Devon and Connell were making their collegiate debuts on the mound.

"They pitched very well," Corsi said. "I was impressed with their poise. They kept the ball around the plate. The defense all day was outstanding. We didn't commit an error. (Devon and Connell) handled themselves very well."

In the second game, Fredonia State shut out Rivier (N.H.), 2-0, behind the stellar pitching of junior Cristina Reale (Geneva). The Mercyhurst-North East transfer pitched a complete-game six-hitter with four strikeouts and one walk.

The Blue Devils received an exceptional defensive performance from Sheridan and Thompson as they each had inning-ending diving saves. Sheridan also homered in the game for her second of the day and scored the second run on a double by Devon.

The play of Sheridan received praise from Corsi.

"She is a freshman and is as good a shorstop as I have seen in my 12 years at Fredonia," he said. "She is the complete package. She is solid on defense and solid on offense. She is an asset to our team. She understands the game very well. I told her, 'You do 99 things right. When I find out what that one thing you do wrong is, I will let you know.'"

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