Tartans Open 2022 with 2-1 Showing

(RALEIGH, N.C.) – The Carnegie Mellon University softball team opened its 2022 campaign with three games on Saturday, February 26 at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic hosted by the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and William Peace University. The Tartans finished 2-1 on the day with their only loss coming to a team that improved to 7-2.

The Tartans started the day with a 5-0 loss to host William Peace, as the Pacers were able to shut down the Tartan bats only allowing three hits through seven innings. Those hits came off the bats of junior Izzy Bermudez (Austin, Texas / Dripping Springs), senior Audrey Pederson (Bedford, N.H. / Bedford) and freshman Allie Rome (West Windsor, N.J. / West Windsor Plainsboro South).

In the second game of the day, the Tartans defeated Denison University by an 8-1 score to even its record and push the Big Red to 1-3.

The bats came alive for the Tartans against the Big Red as they pounded out 11 hits including two home runs. Senior Emily Song (Mount Arlington, N.J. / Roxbury) was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI while senior Megan Hu (Katy, Texas / Seven Lakes), Bermudez and sophomore Erika Heffernen (Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown) each collected two hits. Hu recorded three RBIs while Bermudez picked up two runs batted in with a single in the first inning and a home run in the fifth. Junior Piper Johnson (Riverside, Calif. / Martin Luther King) hit a home run in the third inning.

Senior Gwen Delacruz (Laguna Nigel, Calif. / Aliso Niguel) picked up the victory scattering eight hits and striking out three of the 28 batters faced.

In the final game of the day, the Tartans rallied for an 8-6 win against North Carolina Wesleyan to move to 2-1 while the Battling Bishops dropped to 1-3.

Three times the Battling Bishops took a two-run lead before the Tartans scored the final four runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With one out, senior Audra Scheinman (Falls Church, Va. / George C. Marshall) and junior Emily Finger (Aurora, Ill. / Metea Valley) drew walks and advanced a base on a wild pitch. Bermudez then laced a double down the leftfield line to tie the game at 6-6. Sophomore Addy Sewack (Needham, Mass. / Noble and Greenough) followed with a double down the leftfield line to plate Bermudez and later scored when freshman Libby Eichberger (Aurora, Ill. / Metea Valley) hit a ground ball to the shortstop who bobbled the play allowing Eichberger to reach safely.

Freshman Olivia Van Zandt (Tampa, Fla. / Robinson) earned the win after 3.1 innings of relief work by allowing one hit and striking out four.

The Tartans fourth game of the weekend was canceled due to rain. Carnegie Mellon will continue the season on Saturday, March 5 at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, to kick off 10 games over seven days on a California tour.