NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Curry College softball team opened its 2023 season with a split of a non-conference doubleheader at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex on Monday afternoon. 

The Colonels opened the day by defeating SUNY Canton 11-3 in six innings, before being blanked by Lycoming College 2-0 in the second game.

With the split, Curry opens the season with an overall record of 1-1.

Game 1 - Curry 11, SUNY Canton 3 (6 Innings)

Curry scored early and often in their season opener, downing SUNY Canton by a final score of 11-3.

Curry scored once in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Senior Emily Bussiere (Stow, Mass.) led off the frame with a base hit up the middle. After a pair of Bussiere stolen bases advanced her to third base, junior Taylor McDermott (Durham, Conn.) drove in Curry's first run of the season with a base hit to right field.

Canton briefly leveled the score with back-to-back doubles in the top of the second, but the Colonels responded with a three-spot to take the lead for good. Sophomore Natalia Okleasky (Coventry, R.I.) scored the go-ahead run when she scored on a wild pitch, before junior Jordan Ferullo (Burlington, Mass.) notched an RBI triple and scored on an error to give Curry a 4-1 lead.

The Kangaroos made things interesting with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-3, but the Colonels broke it open with a five-spot in the bottom of the frame to take a 9-3 lead. Freshman Amelya Melchione (Braintree, Mass.) opened the scoring in the inning with a pinch-hit RBI double, followed by an RBI single from junior Madelyn White (Franklin, Mass.) and a bases-loaded walk from freshman Samantha King (Stafford Springs, Conn.). Two runs came across on a wild pitch to close out the five-run inning for the Colonels.

Curry closed out the victory in the bottom of the sixth when freshman Emma Burke (Beverly, Mass.) drove in a pair with a base hit down the right field line, sealing the 11-3 win.

Bussiere led all players in the game with three hits from the leadoff position, while also scoring a pair of runs. Okleasky went 2-for-2 in the win, and also scored a pair.

Sophomore Hailey King (Cranston, R.I.) got the win with a strong outing in the season debut. She allowed three earned runs on six hits in the victory while recording a career-high seven strikeouts. Freshman Gracie Martineau (Westminster, Mass.) looked sharp in her first collegiate outing, allowing just one hit while striking out one in one inning in relief of Hailey King.

Game 2 - Lycoming 2, Curry 0

Curry could not get the timely hitting it needed in game two, as Lycoming earned a victory in its first game of the season. 

The Colonels got a quality start from junior Caitlyn Wood (Saugus, Mass.) in her season debut, as she threw five innings allowing just one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts. For the second game in a row, Martineau impressed in relief, allowing one earned on two hits with a pair of strikeouts in two innings.

Curry scattered eight hits in the defeat, but did not have multiple baserunners until the bottom of the seventh innings. Leading the way offensively for Curry was Ferullo, who finished the contest 2-for-3.

Next up for the Colonels, they will continue their Myrtle Beach trip with a doubleheader Tuesday against Wilson and SUNY Poly. First pitch against the Phoenix is slated for 9 a.m., followed by a 3 p.m. first pitch against the Wildcats.

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