SETTERS FALL TO SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT IN GAME 1; GAME 2 ENDS IN TIE
NEW HAVEN, CT- The Pace University softball team lost the first game of a doubleheader with Southern Connecticut, 5-4, while the second game ended in a tie, 3-3, after the game was called for darkness following the 10th inning. Pace goes to 12-15-1 overall and 7-8-1 in the NE-10 while Southern Connecticut goes to 13-19-2 overall and 7-8-1 in conference play.
In the first game, Pace scored in the top of the first when Michelle Brigham (Unionville, CT/Minisink Valley) doubled home D.J. Ketchel (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) to give Pace a 1-0 lead. Southern Connecticut would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning when Brittany Gandley (Holbrook, NY) drove in two runs with a double to right center. Southern Connecticut would tack on another in the 2nd when Kiersten Pry (Trumbull, CT) drove in Courtney Miniter (Branford, CT) with a single up the middle.
Pace took a 4-3 lead in the top of the 5th when Carolyn Krause (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) and Christina Pane (Stony Point, NY/Cardinal Spellman) each walked to start the inning. Ketchel then reached on a fielder's choice that saw Krause forced out at third. Brigham then hit a hard ground ball to short that was misplayed, allowing Ketchel and Pane to score to tie the game. Patti Hurley (Assonet, MA/Apponequet) then drove in Brigham from third with a single through the left side of the infield.
SCSU would tie the game in the bottom of the 6th when Monica Savarese (Orange, CT) doubled down the leftfield line to start the inning. After Pry bunted her over to third, Savarese scored on a passed ball to tie the game, 4-4.
Kelly Brenner (Hamden, CT) led off the bottom of the 7th with a single up the middle. Elizabeth Eymold (Franklin Square, NY) then pinch ran for Brenner. Eymold moved to second on an error by the first baseman and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kelly Ahearn (East Hampton, CT) then reached on a bunt single, scoring Eymold with the winning run.
Julia Hunt (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) took the loss for the Setters to drop to 4-9 on the year after allowing five runs on 11 hits over six innings. Hunt failed to record an out in the bottom of the 7th. For Southern Connecticut, Jessica Dempsey (Stratford, CT) picked up the win after striking out two batters in the top of the 7th while allowing one hit. Dempsey improves to 2-6 on the season. Brenner started the game for Southern Connecticut, scattering five hits while giving up four runs - one earned - while striking out seven over 6 1/3. At the plate, Brigham was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
In the second game, Pace would once again score first, tagging the Owls for the game's first run in the top of the 2nd. Sheila Mercado (Greeley, CO/Greeley West) reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and was then bunted over to second. Tricia Alluto (Matawan, NJ/Matawan Regional) then reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing Mercado to score from second.
Pace would take a 3-0 lead in the top of the 4th when Mercado reached on an error again. Mercado would move to third on a hit through the right side by Hurley. Alluto then followed with a single down the right field line, scoring Mercado and Hurley.
SCSU cut the Setter lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th when Emily Atkinson (Novato, CA) singled with two outs. After Jennifer Walcott (Thomaston, CT) pinch ran for Atkinson, Gandley followed with a single of her own. Brenner then drove in both runners with a double to left field. Atkinson would drive in Miniter in the bottom of the 7th with a two-out single to tie the game at 3-3.
Both pitchers took no-decisions in the game. For Pace,
Kiryl Shada (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) allowed
three runs - two earned - on 12 hits over 10 innings while striking
out five. For Southern Connecticut, Dempsey gave up all three Pace
runs - all unearned - on two hits over four innings while striking
out three. Kristyna Bertolone (Farmingville, NY) pitched six
scoreless innings, scattering four hits while striking out six.
Pace returns to action when they travel to Orangeburg, NY on
Wednesday, April 19th to take on Dominican College in a
non-conference match-up slated for a 3:30 p.m. start.