BALTIMORE, Md. – Madison Didion fanned 11 batters to lead Coppin State's softball team to a 9-0 shutout victory over St. Bonaventure on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles, who dropped the opener, 17-1, now stand at 3-7 on the season.
In just five innings, Didion's 11 strikeouts are a career-high, and the junior from Montesano, Wash, allowed just three hits and a walk. Only two Bonnies got into scoring position as St. Bonaventure led off the first and fifth innings with doubles but they were unable to advance any further.
All nine of Coppin's runs came in the first inning with all being credited to starting pitcher Makayla Brzezinski. Brzezinski only retired one batter on the afternoon which came on a sacrifice bunt.
Megan Narvaez led off with a single before quickly scoring on
Cloe' Ochoa's triple to right center.
Patricia Soria then drove in Ochoa with a single to center field. A single by
Cayla Brown put two runners on for
Nia Bowe who plated Soria with a single up the middle.
Nicole Ullman then laid down a sac bunt to advance both into scoring position before
Sydney Dombrowski made it a 4-0 game with an RBI single and
Haley Bravo extended the lead to 5-0 with another single.
Already ahead by fine runs,
Hatika James drew a walk to load the bases before Narvaez reached on an error, allowing two runs to score. Following another walk to Ochoa, St. Bonaventure made a pitching change. Following a strikeout,
Camille Ochoa reached on an error and two runners were able to score.
After giving up a leadoff double to start the game, Didion retired the next seven batters, including striking out the side in the second and the first batter in the third. Didion also fanned all three batters in the fifth after allowing a leadoff double.
The opener was not as kind to Coppin despite getting ahead 1-0 with an RBI single by Brown in the first. Scoring on the play was Narvaez who singled to start the game before getting to third on a double by Soria.
Cloe' Ochoa got the start in the circle and allowed three runs in the second before being replaced by
Megan Brogden. Brogden retired the first two batters she faced to end the inning but the Bonnies tacked on four runs off her in the third.
Dakota Gartrell didn't fare much better as she started the fourth and gave up another four runs before Ochoa returned to the circle.
St. Bonaventure extend the lead to 16-1 after four and added another in the fifth.
Coppin returns to the field on Tuesday, March 13 when it hosts Albany in a 1 pm doubleheader in the final twinbill before starting conference play at Norfolk State on March 17-18.
