Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly, Sports Information Director

DATE: Thursday, March 18, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Softball

Devils open season with win

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Fredonia State opened its season Thursday with a 1-0 victory over Fontbonne, Mo., in the Gene Cusic Classic.

Ashley Sullivan (Derby/Lake Shore) pitched a four-hitter and Heather Mercer (Horseheads/Horseheads) drove in the only run with a two-out single in the fifth inning.

Holly Reichel was the losing pitcher. She was an all-region player and the player of the year in her conference in 2003.

The winning rally began when Jessica Haefner (Hamburg/Frontier) beat out a bunt single. She stole second and scored when Mercer dropped a single behind second base.

The Blue Devils were solid defensively and that enabled Sullivan to pitch out of several jams. Fontbonne (7-3) left six runners stranded. The first key defensive play came in the fourth inning. With one out and runners on first and third, Haefner fielded a grounder at third and threw out the runner trying to score.

In the sixth, Mercer made a lunging catch of a flyball in short left-center for the first out of the inning. The game ended when Mercer threw out a runner at third attempting to advance on a stolen base and an overthrow.

Using an assortment of pitches, Sullivan registered two strikeouts in her return to full-time pitching. She pitched only 14 1/3 innings in 2003 after returning from from a broken collarbone to her pitching shoulder sustained in a non-sports accident prior to the start of the season.

The Blue Devils and Fontbonne met in 2003 at the Cusic Classic, with the Missouri team claiming an 11-0 victory.

The Blue Devils are back in action twice Friday. At 11 a.m., they face Grinnell, Iowa. At 4 p.m., Lasell, Mass., will provide the opposition.

Athletics Home | Fredonia Home