The New York University softball team began its 10-game Florida schedule with a pair of victories on Monday, March 13, in Naples.

Competing in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, the Violets defeated Westfield State University 3-0 and the University of Wisconsin-Superior 3-1 in their first two games of the trip.

It didn't take long for the team to make its mark.

Graduate student Angelina Biele was outstanding in the opener, going the distance and recording the shutout over Westfield State.

"Coming to warm weather made a difference, and the whole team had my back and everyone was ready to play," Biele said. "I just wanted to leave everything on the field today and see where that would takes us."    

In her third game toeing the rubber for the Violets, Biele only allowed one hit while striking out a single-game team-record 15 batters. The Duke University graduate did not issue a walk and hit one batter in her record-breaking performance.

The old record of 14 strikeouts was set by Sage Scheiwiller in 2015.

"Getting ahead of the batters and trusting my spins is the key," Biele explained. "My goal is always to strike out batters. If they touch it, then I know the fielders have my back."

It was a clean game defensively, as the Violets committed no errors, and the only batter to get a hit for the Owls, Meredith Higgins, was erased on a steal attempt by NYU catcher Hannah Becker.        

NYU got all the scoring it would need in the third inning on RBI singles from Marina Egbert and Chloe Blanc. 

Madi Hand added an RBI double in the fifth.

"I'm proud to set the strikeout record," Biele said. "But, my catcher and all the fielders really helped me out today."  

In the second game, Egbert was also impressive, pitching a full game and not allowing an earned run. She gave up four hits and four walks.

Egbert also helped herself at the plate with an RBI single that gave NYU a third-inning lead.

Wisconsin-Superior tied the game on an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, but a two-out rally put the Violets ahead in the top of the seventh.

Bella Dunning's double and Samantha Burggraf's pinch-hit single put NYU in the lead and Emma Aridi's double plated the insurance run.

Egbert worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the frame to secure the victory.

"This was a great start for us down in Florida," said Head Coach Now-Allah James. "The pitching was great, the defense came up big and the hitters hit in the clutch. Those are ingredients you need to win games."

The Violets return to action tomorrow, March 14, with a pair of morning games in Naples. They take on Western Connecticut State at 9:00am and St. Joseph's-Brooklyn at 11:00am.