CAPE CORAL, Fla.- The Roger Williams softball team earned another split Thursday, as they dropped a come-from-behind game to the Lions of Albright College, 6-5 and defeated the University of Southern Maine 8-0 in six innings.
In the first game, facing Albright, the Hawks were first to get on the board, putting a run on in the second inning. Junior #Christine Bean# (Southampton, Mass.) had an RBI triple to score #Kerry Burke# (Old Saybrook, Conn.) who had gotten on with a walk. Roger Williams scored again in the third, as #Andrea Gregory# (Toms River, N.J.) notched an RBI triple and #Callie Nealon# (Hopkinton, Mass.) brought Gregory home with a single.
Yet the Lions fougth back, putting three runs on to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Albright had their first lead of the game in the fourth, as the Lions drew two walks off of sophomore pitcher #Alexandra Sera# (Newton, Mass.) and scored on an RBI double by Stevie Crouse (Nazareth, Pa.).
The Hawks climbed back into the game in the fifth with a lead-off home run by #LeEllen Lewis# (Brunswick, Md.) and an RBI single by #Sarah Grill# (Watervliet, N.Y.). But in the end, Albright had an answer for the Hawks' offense, adding a run in both the fifth and sixth innings to take the final lead, 6-5.
Relief pitcher Becky Moist (Huntingdon, Pa.) is credited with the win, while Sera went six innings in the loss, giving up nine hits and walking four while striking out one.
In the afternoon matchup against Southern Maine, the Hawks' hitting and superior defense made the difference. Roger Williams got on the board in the top of the first, as the Huskies' pitcher Larissa O'Connor (Farmington, Maine) walked #Melissa Sereti# (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Lewis, then allowed Lewis and pinch runner #Renee Bilotti# (Bristol, R.I.) to advance on a wild pitch. A double error on an attempt to throw Bilotti out at third brought both runners home.
The Hawks bats were active again in the fifth inning. Nealon reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by #Michelle Caprice# (Oak Ridge, N.J.) and advanced to third on a single by Burke. Designated hitter #Samantha Teves# (Somerset, Mass.) then brought Nealon and Burke home on a two-RBI triple to right center.
The game's final four runs came in the bottom of the sixth, as the Hawks capitalized on relief pitching, drawing three walks and earning three hits. Nealon, Caprice, Burke, and Bean all had RBIs in the inning. With the score at 8-0, the game was called.
Senior pitcher Gregory is credited with the shutout, as she pitched six innings, allowing six hits and only one walk, and striking out three. O'Connor went five innings in the loss for the Huskies.
Sophomore Teves led on offense for the game, hitting 3-3 including a double and triple. Catcher Christine Bean was integral on defense, throwing out three attempted steals on second.
The Hawks close out their spring break competition tomorrow, as they get another chance to play Albright at 11:00 a.m. and face SUNY Potsdam in th 1:00 p.m. matchup.
