VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The RIT softball team (2-0) opened up the 2017 season by picking up a pair of wins at the Virginia Wesleyan Beach Blast on Friday. The Tigers rallied to defeat Hunter College (0-1) 8-7 in the opener and rolled to a 10-2 win in six innings over Lancaster Bible College.
 
Down 6-4 in the top of the sixth inning against Hunter, RIT roared back with four runs to earn the victory. Alexa Farner (Gowanda, NY/Gownanda) was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Emily Lazarus (Whitehall, PA/Allentown Catholic) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) drove in a pair of runs and scored once, while freshman Erin Guinan (Geneva, NY/Geneva) picked up her first two collegiate hits and two RBIs.
 
Sierra Valentine (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) made the start on the mound, allowing five hits and two earned runs over four innings. Torie Adler (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) came on in relief and despite walking five batters and allowing three runs in three innings, picked up her first collegiate win in her debut appearance.
 
RIT raced out to leads of 2-0 and 5-1 in game two, before ending the game in the sixth inning with four runs.
 
Guinan went 3-for-4 with a triple, three runs scored, and three RBIs our of the leadoff spot to pace the RIT attack. Hotz was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and two RBIs, while Tori Blaker (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) doubled and drove in three runs. Laura Weintraub (Syosset, NY/Syosset) was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Farner also scored twice.
 
Junior hurler Lauren Mahar (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) picked up the complete game win, allowing five hits and two runs, while striking out nine batters.
 
RIT concludes play at the Virginia Wesleyan Beach Blast on Saturday, taking on Western Connecticut State at 10 a.m. and St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn at noon.