Box Score BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Softball team lost a close one to the Wildcats of Johnson & Wales 12-7, late Tuesday afternoon in an eventful non-conference match up.
Roger Williams made the first move in the second inning when Valerie Moran (Syosset, N.Y.) found the gap in center field, which put her on second. With Amanda Boulter (Wakefield, Mass.) on base, due to a walk, and Olivia Mora (Windham, Maine) on first from a solid hit to left center, the bases were loaded. Johnson & Wales pitcher Saxon Bresnahan (Quincy, Mass.) walked Taylor Chatowsky (North Kingstown, R.I.) to move the Hawks around the bases for a score. The Hawks weren't done yet as the bases were still loaded and senior Haley Ledbetter (Westerly, R.I.) singled up the middle to run her teammate Boulter all the way home.
The Wildcats responded quickly in the third inning, when Kristin Frost (Pearl City, Hi.) came up to bat. With teammate Alex Fantasia (Framingham, Mass.) on first, Frost slammed the ball over the fence to tie up the ball game. With a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, the Wildcats took full advantage in the fourth inning. Olivia DiGiacomo (Franklin, Mass.) led off the inning for the Wildcats with a solid single through the left side. Kayla McKinnon (Cambridge, Mass.) doubled to left center to move DiGiacomo. Taylor Fay (East Islip, N.Y.) was next up for the Wildcats, and she hit the ball into the right side gap, where DiGiacomo ran home, McKinnon to third, and Fay advancing to second off of the throw to home plate. New pitcher Noelle Weiss (Hartland, Wis.) tallied an RBI as she moved her teammates each a base as she grounded out to third. Fantasia followed suit and grounded out second base, bringing in another Wildcat run.
With the score 5-2, the Hawks were not going down without a fight. The fourth inning was filled with homeruns as Moran homered over the left field fence in an attempt to shorten the deficit. With the fifth inning underway, Meghan Gavin (Wallingford, Conn.) was able to squeak by to first, due to a dropped fly ball by the right fielder. Senior Katie Rufo (Natick, Mass.) brought her fellow Wildcats home with yet another homerun over left field to further their lead 7-4. In the bottom of the fifth, Ledbetter was able to score the lone Hawk run for the inning, off of a rip from Alexis Romano (Shirley N.Y.) to left center.
The Wildcats found themselves scoreless in the top of the sixth during a 1-2-3 inning. The Hawks quickly capitalized on this when sophomore Alexa Califano (Dix Hills, N.Y.) was able to move around the bases as she got the ball to drop right on the right field line, and then moved to second off of a wild pitch. Califano was able to continue to third when her teammate, Bay Naples (Livingston, N.J.), grounded out to short. During Ledbetter's at-bat, Califano scored when a pitch just got away from the Wildcat catcher. Ledbetter finished her at-bat by doubling to right center. The Hawks doubled again with an RBI from Romano to bring Ledbetter home. Katrina Goria (Wyckoff, N.J.) continued the RBI double streak for the Hawks as she found the gap in left field to bring Romano all the way home. The Wildcats quickly made a pitching change and re-entered Bresnahan. Johnson & Wales made the right call by then intentionally walking Moran, and getting the next batter, Michaela Federico (Walpole, Mass.), out with a pop up to center.
With the score all tied up 7-7, the Wildcats came in clutch in the seventh inning and pulled away. Gavin led off for JWU and walked to first. Rufo was able to slam another ball to center to bring Gavin home, putting herself on second. Young freshman Shari Minalga (Seymour, Conn.) came in to pinch run for Rufo and advanced to third due to a passed ball. Rookie DiGiacomo took one for the team and got hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and third. Sheyann Goodwin (Tacoma, Wash.) entered for the Wildcats and pinch ran for DiGiacomo, and advanced to second when Hawks catcher overthrew third base in a failed pick off attempt that brought Minalga home. Then, McKinnon found the hole in the middle for an RBI single that brought Goodwin home. After a series of singles and runners on first and second, Bresnahan also singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw to home, in a failed Hawk attempt to get McKinnon out, which also put Tiffani Semanchik (Flemington, N.J.) on third. Fantasia reached first when the Hawks shortstop dropped a fly ball that brought in the final Wildcats run. Roger Williams remained scoreless in the final inning.
Bresnahan got the win, pitching a total of 3.1 innings. Katie Rufo was 3-for-4 with one run, a homerun and three RBIs. Kristin Frost went 2-for-3 with one run scored, two RBIs and a homerun.
Hailey Prechtel (Glenmont, N.Y.) took the loss, giving up four runs. Haley Ledbetter was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Fellow senior, Valerie Moran, went 2-for-2 on the evening with two runs scored, two RBIs and a homerun.
Johnson & Wales (24-10) will be in action again on Thursday in a non-conference double header against Eastern Connecticut State. Roger Williams (6-28-1) will await to see if they will reschedule their postponed contest against UMass-Dartmouth.
