Junior center fielder Bella Maloney drove in two runs and sophomore Emma Laureano broke open the game with her first varsity home run – a grand slam – as Brockport defeated Greece Athena 13-5 in girls softball to end their six-game losing skid.
The Blue Devils, the visiting team despite playing at home due to field conditions at Athena, scored first as junior shortstop Erynn Hogan reached on an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice before scoring on a Maloney two-out RBI single.
After the Trojans tied the game 1-1 with a run in their half of the first, Brockport scored five times in the second. Freshman Layla Myers reached on a fielder’s choice and junior Sydney Ignaszak walked before Hogan drove in Myers with a double to right-center. Emily Parker drove in a pair of runs with a double and scored on yet another two-bagger by Maloney, who later scored on pitcher Mya Enderle’s RBI single.
The Blue Devils blew the game open in the third as they loaded the bases on an error, a walk and a single before Laureano unloaded her grand slam over the left field fence for a 10-3 Brockport lead.
“It’s not what I expected, but I’m glad to put some runs on the board,” Laureano said about her home run. “I was looking for anything in the zone. This was a team win and will help us build more confidence as a whole, not just as individuals.”
Enderle plated two more runs with a single in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 12-3 and, after Athena scored twice in the sixth, Laureano drove in her fifth run of the game with a single after Parker led off the seventh inning with a double.
The Blue Devils had a 9-10 record and hoped to reach the .500 mark with one away game left in the regular season prior to the Section V playoffs.
