BRISTOL, R.I. – A comeback effort by the Roger Williams University Softball team fell just short Saturday afternoon, as Curry College held off the Hawks 4-3 in eight innings. The second game was suspended after the first inning tied 0-0 due to rain.
The Colonels were able to get on the scoreboard early in their first at-bat. Curry manufactured its first run with Megan Flaherty (Medway, Mass.) leading off the game with a walk then moving to second via a sacrifice by Taryn Vigeant (Terryville, Conn.) Mikaela Carney (N. Reading, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to score Flaherty. Carney would later score in the inning to put the Colonels on top 2-0.
In the following inning, Flaherty came through with another run for Curry, scoring from third on a sacrifice fly by Carney.
Offensively, the Hawks were unable to get anything going in the early part of the game. Sarah Grill (Watervliet, N.Y.) began her Senior Day experience leading off the Hawks with a double to center, but would eventually end up stranded at third. Kaitlyn Costa (Cranston, R.I.) managed a one-out single in the second but never advanced past third.
The Hawks' best opportunity to score came in the fifth inning when a pair of Colonel miscues put Lauren Tierney (Middleboro, Mass.) and Natasha Stone (Harrison, N.Y.) at first and second with one out. Grill lined out to short for the second out, but Erica Castro (Medford, N.Y.) hit a line drive at third Valarie LaSala just got a glove on and trickled away from her. Tierney attempted to score from second but Flaherty made a heads-up play by at short, cutting the ball off before it went into the outfield and threw out Tierney at home for the final out of the inning.
It wouldn't be until the Hawks' final at-bat before the offense came to life. With RWU down to its last out, Tierney singled to left followed by a walk by Stone. Grill would then come through with an RBI triple to make it a 3-2 game. Castro would then tie the game at three with an RBI single and send it into extra innings.
In the eight, Gabrielle Dube (Manchester, Conn.) put the Colonels back on top when she scored on an RBI triple by Chelsey Munsey (Leominster, Mass.). Trailing 3-4, the Hawks almost came back, with Hannah Pirez reaching third, but Amanda Peters (East Bridgewater, Mass.) snagged a line drive off the bat of Jaclyn Doolin (Miller Place, N.Y.) that was headed down the right field line. Janelle Mayo (Worcester, Mass.) would then induce a pop-up to second to get the win.
Mayo pitched all eight innings for Curry in the win, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Carney finished 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI, while Heather Carrier (Scarborough, Maine) was 2-for-4.
Stacy Broughton (Newtown, Mass.) took the loss, pitching seven innings of relief for Doolin, who gave up two runs (one earned) in one inning. Broughton allowed two unearned runs on four hits for RWU. Castro went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Grill was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Roger Williams' (12-20, 10-7 TCCC) noon game on Sunday vs. the University of New England has been postponed due to impending rain. Curry (15-18, 10-9 TCCC) is scheduled to host the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
