BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Softball team needed extra innings to advance past the play-in round of The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament, winning 4-3 in ten innings Monday afternoon over Salve Regina University.
With the win, Roger Williams (18-22), who came in as the #5 seed, advances to the double elimination portion of the tournament, where the Hawks will face the second-seeded University of New England Tuesday afternoon on the campus of Endicott College. #8 seed Salve Regina closes out their season with a record of 15-26.
The Hawks began the scoring in the bottom of the second, when Kara Lewis (Bristol, R.I.) led off the inning with a double. After being pinch ran for by Laura McConnell (Lexington, Mass.), McConnell would eventually come around to score on a passed ball to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks added two more in the bottom of the fourth, with Kaitlyn Costa (Cranston, R.I.) knocking in Jaclyn Doolin (Miller Place, N.Y.) and Kelly Marcin (Windsor Locks, Conn.) with a two-RBI double to right center. RWU was poised to break the game open in the frame, getting the bases loaded with no one out. Yet the Seahawks were able to induce the Hawks into force outs at home for the first and second outs, followed by a force at third to escape the inning with only two runs given up.
Salve Regina would be held scoreless in the fifth before putting their first runs of the game on the board in the sixth. Ali Muehlbronner (Glenside, Pa.) and Christina Walsh (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) led off the inning with back-to-back singles, eventually reaching second and third with two outs. Kristen Parolise (Hamden, Conn.) brought in Muehlbronner with an RBI single to make it 3-1. A misplayed ball at second allowed Walsh to score, followed by an infield RBI hit by Sara Nelson (Bristol, Conn.) later in the inning, bringing in Parolise to tie the game at three apiece. Neither team managed a run in the seventh, sending the game to extras.
After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Hawks managed to break through in the bottom of the tenth. Costa reached base via a one-out single, then moved up to second on a misplayed ball at third. Sarah Grill (Watervliet, N.Y.) would then come up to the plate and popped a ball to shallow center. Walsh charged in hard at the ball and made an excellent diving catch, but the ball trickled out of her glove as she hit the ground, with the umpire ruling a fair ball. Costa came in from second base and gave the Hawks the win.
Doolin pitched all ten innings for the Hawks, giving up three runs (one earned) on eight hits with ten strikeouts. Costa finished a career-best 4-for-5 with two RBI and the GW run. Lewis, Doolin, and Castro added two hits each.
Jen Cruver (North Haven, Conn.) took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) in 9.2 innings on 12 hits with seven strikeouts. Parolise and Muehlbronner both finished 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Zeena Barbarita (Johnston, R.I.) was 2-for-3.
