Baltimore, MD (March 18, 2016) – Kelyn Fillmore (Simi Valley, Calif.) hit her first home run of the season racking up three RBI on the day as the Sacred Heart softball team lost its first two games of the weekend at the UMBC Spring Classic.

In game one, the Pioneers struggled to get anything going losing their first game of the day to Siena 7-2. SHU starting pitcher, Emily Orosco (Camarillo, Calif) gave up a lead-off homerun to Siena's Sammy Smaldone and three runs total in the first inning as the Saints jumped out to an early lead and held on the whole way. Victoria D'Addario (Lincoln Park, N.J.) cut the lead to one in the third inning as she hit a two-run single to center field making it 3-2, but that was all SHU would get.

In game two, Sacred Heart's late rally was denied as La Salle held on for a 6-4 win. Down 6-0 after four innings, the Pioneers were able to put up four runs in the fifth inning on a Stephanie Appelberg (Monroe, Conn.) RBI double to the right-center gap before Fillmore hit a three-run homerun to left center to come within two.

The Pioneers continue play in the UMBC Spring Classic tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. when they play La Salle for the third and final time of the season.

THE BASICS:

Score: Siena 7 - Sacred Heart 2

           La Salle 6 - Sacred Heart 4

Location: UMBC Spring Classic, Baltimore, Md.

New Records: Sacred Heart 6-13, Siena 7-7, La Salle 5-10

GAME 1: SACRED HEART vs. SIENA

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In the top half of the first, Siena's Smaldone hit a leadoff home run down the left field line and the Saints scored three of their seven runs to jump out to an early lead 
• D'Addario scored Fillmore and Hailey Desrosiers (Cypress, Calif.) on a two-run single in the bottom half of the third to make it 3-2
• Siena responded with three runs on four hits in the top of the fourth to make it 6-2
• Siena pitcher Lauren Butts stranded nine Sacred Heart runners on base

HIGHLIGHTS:

• D'Addario had two RBI for the Pioneers with her third inning two-run single
• McKenna Wiegand (Gilbert, Ariz.) had a double, the only extra base hit for Sacred Heart
• Fillmore was able to draw two of the six walks given up by Butts
• Sacred Heart pitchers Orosco, Adrianna Mallory (Pine Bush, N.Y.), and Kristen McCann (Phoenix, Ariz.) combined for eight strikeouts

FOR THE FOES:

• Smaldone had the two extra base hits for Siena, a lead off home run in the first and a double in the second
• Butts went the distance for the Saints striking out six and stranding nine batters

GAME 2: SACRED HEART vs. LA SALLE

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Suzanne Swanicke got things going for La Salle with a two-run single in the first
• Michelle Hagarty hit a two-run homerun in the second inning to put the Explorers on top 4-0
• Mackenzie Obert hit a two-run homerun in the fourth to make it 6-0
• Appelberg hit an RBI double to put the Pioneers on the board in the fifth
• Kelyn Fillmore followed with a three-run homerun to make it 6-4 after five innings

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Appelberg had her first hit and RBI of the season with her double in the fifth inning
• Fillmore hit her first homerun of the season, a three-run shot to left center to cut the Explorer lead to two

FOR THE FOES:

• Swanicke, Hagarty, and Obert each had two RBI for the six La Salle runs
• Hagarty and Obert each had a two-run homerun