CLERMONT, Fla.—The Roger Williams Softball team split yesterday against Dominican University (W 9-0) and Bridgewater State University (L 5-9).
The Hawks won in a mercy rule in their first game with
Lia Nocella (Tyngsboro, Mass.) on the mound. She only allowed four hits, one walk, and struck out five.
In the top of the third,
Elizabeth Lombardo (Thomaston, Conn.) got the team started by hitting a hard ground ball through the left side for a single advancing teammate
Madi Francis (Coventry, Conn.) who had just previously walked.
Alexis Romano (Shirley, N.Y.) then singled down the right field line to make the bases loaded with
Micaela Pohl (Middleboro, Mass.) up to bat. With only one out, Pohl singled through the left side plating Francis as well as Lombardo due to errors in the field. The Hawks scored two more runs by
Amanda Boulter's (Wakefield, Mass.) RBI single and from a wild pitch that allowed Pohl to score from third to put the Hawks up 4-0.
After E. Lombardo scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth,
Katrina Goria (Wyckoff, N.J.) stepped up with the bases juiced and hit a single to left center adding two runs.
With a 7-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Alexa Lombardo (Thomaston, Conn.) bunted to advance the runner to second. With two outs,
Bella Malvinni (Westerly, R.I.) roped an RBI double down the left field line plating one. E. Lombardo then hit her second single of the game to bring in Malvinni to win the game 9-0.
In game two, BSU came out on top starting in the top of the second when Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.) reached second base on an error. Teammate Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) then singled up the middle to advance pinch runner Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.) to third. To follow, Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) hit an RBI single to right field scoring Healy and moving Heller. With only one out, Heller stole home for the second run of the inning creating a 2-0 lead.
The Hawks answered by
Ellie Fleming (Marshfield, Mass.) who was also on the mound singled up the middle.
Sydney Provencal (Cumberland, R.I.) then hit a line drive to center field advancing Fleming to second. It wasn't until
Taylor Chatowsky (North Kingstown, R.I.) came up to bat that the Hawks had a chance of scoring. Chatowsky roped a line drive to right field for an RBI single that brought home Fleming now only down one run.
However, the Bears started to pull away in the top of the third by tacking on four more runs. With two outs, three singles that were hit by Grindle, Heller, and Meghan Navarro (Taunton, Mass.) and two errors on the defense caused BSU to increase the lead 6-1.
The Hawks didn't get discouraged by the lead as they continued to chip away in the bottom third. Now back at the top of the lineup, E. Lombardo, Romano, and Pohl all hit singles and eventually E. Lombardo is brought home increasing the score 6-2.
BSU put three more runs on the board in the top of the fourth due to Ruprecht and Heller's RBI doubles going up 9-2.
The Hawks battled back in the bottom of the sixth when Chatowsky scores from E. Lombardo's third single of the game. With one out, and people on second and third,
Francesca Cioffi (Brewster, N.Y.) hits a liner to right field that plates one. On a hard ground ball to the shortstop, Goria beat out the throw causing Romano to score from third for a score of 9-5.
The Hawks face Franklin and Marshall and Ursinus today at 11:45 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
