The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

ntb555s0
Penn softball hosts Columbia for the final game of the season. Alisha Prystowski Credit: Andrew Townley

"Player development" might have been bumped down a few spots on softball coach Leslie King's to-do list after this weekend.

Rookie Jamie Boccanfuso accounted for four of the Quakers' seven runs batted in as Penn softball went 1-2 in its opening weekend at the George Mason Tournament in Fairfax, Va.

After a winless Friday, in which the team fell, 9-1, to St. Joseph's and 9-0 to Akron, the Quakers bounced back to notch a win against tournament host George Mason, 6-1.

Boccanfuso wasn't the only young blood to make an impact over the weekend - freshman Cailyn Hennessy went 1-for-2 against the Hawks (2-0) with a double in the third inning. She also made her first collegiate appearance on the mound against Akron (5-7), giving up four hits in three innings.

St. Joe's, whom Penn hasn't met in varsity play in four years, scored enough runs to end the game after six innings. Despite Hennessy's solid offensive performance, Penn only registered three hits against the Hawks.

The Quakers had more offensive woes against Akron, whose pitcher Heather Bauer blanked Penn, throwing a no-hitter and walking just one batter.

While not thrilled with their performance Friday, senior pitcher Emily Denstedt pointed out that the Quakers hadn't seen as much play as either of their opponents.

"[Akron] had at least 10 games under their belt," Denstedt said. "Considering that, I think we came out and performed well, against two very good teams. I think we were a little nervous. . It was our first time out on the field since the fall."

Penn turned the tables and struck early against the Patriots (6-6), scoring two runs in the first inning after sophomore catcher Alisha Prystowsky opened up with a single. Prystowsky went an impressive 4-for-4 on the day, slamming the ball over the fence in the fourth for a solo homer. Senior pitcher Jesse Lupardus pitched what Denstedt called a "gem," giving up one earned run over 6.2 innings.

"[St. Joe's and Akron] showed us areas where we can improve, and we improved [on Saturday]," Denstedt said. "We worked quickly from what we did Friday."

"I was impressed with the growth between the two days alone," senior co-captain Anna Puglisi added. "Saturday made me feel good about where we are."

For Puglisi, who is from Springfield, Va., - which is less than 10 miles from George Mason's Fairfax, Va., campus - the tournament added a dose of nostalgia to her season opener.

"It was really cool to get to play in my hometown, especially my senior year," the outfielder said. "A number of family and softball friends showed up to see us play, which meant a lot to me."

Comments powered by Disqus

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.