FORT MYERS, Fla. – Freshman starter
Cindy Connoly (Walden, N.Y.) went 1-1 on the day, but did not allow an earned run in 10.1 innings of work as the Mount Saint Mary College softball team (3-5) split its Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic games on Thursday. The Knights lost a 10-inning thriller to St. John Fisher College (5-0), 6-5, in the early matchup, and then came around to defeat Kenyon College, 7-3.
Connoly did not start either game, but picked up the decision in each one in relief. She tossed the final 6.1 innings in the opener against St. John Fisher, allowing one unearned run in the 10th inning to suffer the loss. She allowed just four hits in the game and struck out seven batters. She evened out her season record at 2-2 with the win in game two, yielding just three hits and no runs in four innings of work. She fanned another six batters in her second appearance of the day. Through five appearances this week, Connoly has an ERA of 0.66 and 40 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.
The Knights got off to a hot start against Fisher, taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-RBI single by sophomore shortstop
Breanna DePasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.). The lead improved to 4-0 in the third when senior third baseman
Danielle Soto (Miller Place, N.Y.) blasted a two-run homer.
Fisher got a run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by center fielder Jennifer Knaak, but it was quickly neutralized by another RBI single by DePasquale in the fourth.
The bottom of the fourth proved costly to the Knights, as the Cardinals rallied back to tie the game. Third baseman Kristina Balsano got scoring going with a two-run blast of her own, and then second baseman Lauren Owens brought in another run on a sacrifice fly to get the Cardinals within one. With the bases loaded, catcher Karlie Neale was hit by a pitch, bringing in the tying run.
Both teams made pitching changes in the fourth, and both relievers turned in stellar performances for the rest of the game. The game remained tied through seven innings, forcing extra frames and putting the International Softball Rules into effect. By rule, each team begins its at bat in extra innings with the last runner batted out on second base.
Connoly led off the eighth for the Knights, singling to right to put runners on the corners. Sophomore first baseman
Michelle Surdan (Acton, Mass.) then caught a bad break, lining out to the pitcher, who then caught Connoly before she could get back to first. The inning ended when freshman right fielder
Taylor Canto (Walden, N.Y.) popped up to first. Facing a walk-off situation, Connoly forced the first two batters of the inning to foul out, and struck out the last one to leave the runner stranded at second and force another inning.
The Knights' first batter of the ninth popped out to start the inning, but DePasquale then singled to left to put runners on the corners once again. She then stole second to eliminate the chance of a double play. Unfortunately, Fisher's Kayla DaPara worked her way out of the inning without allowing a runner to score.
Connoly fell into a tough bind in the bottom of the ninth, as the runner on second quickly moved to third on a passed ball before an out was recorded. Owens reached on a fielder's choice after the Knights held the runner on at third, and then she took second during the next at bat. Knaak was then walked to load the bases, still without an out in the inning. Connoly got the next batter to hit a ground ball, and the Knights forced out the runner at home. Connoly struck the next batter out, and then got out of the inning by forcing a pop out to short.
The Knights opened the 10th with a sacrifice bunt to move the automatic runner to third. The Knights were once again unable to bring in a run, as the next two batters were unable to record a hit or hit one far enough to bring score the runner. Connoly got the first batter of the 10th to pop out, but back-to-back singles brought the automatic runner in to score, giving the Cardinals the win.
DePara picked up the win after tossing 6.2 innings in relief without allowing a run. She gave up just four hits and struck out five hitters.
Left fielder Meghan Burns went 3-for-6 for the Cardinals, including the game-winning hit in the 10th. Balsano went 1-for-5, but her only hit was a two-run homer.
Connoly added a 2-for-4 outing to her line in game one, scoring a run in the process. Soto went 1-for-3 with her two-run homer. DePasquale went 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Game two got off to a rocky start for the Knights, as Kenyon designated player Lindsey Susolik hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to put the Ladies up, 2-0.
A big third inning proved to be the difference in Thursday's finale. The Knights loaded the bases with one out, setting up senior catcher
Stephanie Karcher (Oxford, Conn.) to draw a walk to bring in the Knights' first run. Freshman shortstop
Courtney Barbara (Fishkill, N.Y.) then singled to center to bring another run in and tie the game. Freshman third baseman
Kathryn Eiler (Merrick, N.Y.) then grounded out to second, but it was enough to bring in another run and give the Knights the lead. A one-run lead was not enough for the Knights, as freshman pitcher
Colleen Dunn (Bellmore, N.Y.) gave the Knights some insurance with a two-RBI single to give the Knights a 5-2 lead.
Kenyon got one back in the fourth on an RBI single by right fielder Hayley Howard, but it was not enough to get the Ladies back in the game. The Knights added two more runs in the seventh for good measure as Connoly closed out the game once again.
Connoly came on in relief in the fourth inning, and did not allow a run through the final four frames to tally the win. Sylvie Thomas was tagged with the loss for Kenyon after allowing seven runs (three earned) in the complete seven innings.
Barbara went 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored to pace the Knights in their win. Dunn hit 1-for-2 with two RBI, and then Connoly went 1-for-2 with another RBI after relieving her. Soto capped off her day with two runs in a 1-for-3 effort, while Karcher also went 1-for-3, knocking in a run and scoring another.
No Kenyon hitter was able to string multiple hits together in Thursday's finale. Susolik went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, while Howard hit 1-for-3 with a RBI.
The Knights will close out their trip to Florida tomorrow, March 6, with matchups against Milwaukee School of Engineering and Wartburg College. The first game is set to begin at 9 a.m.
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