CLERMONT, Fla. - Powered by two victories on the rubber by pitcher Paige Cormier (Rochester, N.H.), the Saint Anselm College team posted a 4-3 extra-inning victory against the Panthers of Davenport University as well as a 2-1 win against the Golden Knights of Gannon University Monday afternoon. With the two wins, the Hawks boast a 2-0 overall record after the first day of their Florida exhibition schedule. The Panthers collected their first loss and stand at 2-1 overall on the season while the Golden Knights fall to 1-2 in the young season.
In the morning contest against Davenport, a bases-loaded walk by Hawks shortstop Nicole Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.) in the bottom of the ninth inning plated first baseman Olivia Story (Middleton, Mass.) for the game's winning run. With the Panthers ahead by one run in the bottom of the inning, Hawks second baseman Kat Scafidi (Hudson, N.H.) was placed on second per softball extra inning rules. Story, the lead-off batter in the inning, drew a base on balls. An ensuing wild pitch by Panthers pitcher Sam Cole advanced Scafidi to third base and Story to second. An RBI single by Mary Fay (Stoughton, Mass.) knotted the game at three apiece, setting up Boucher's extra-inning walk.
Saint Anselm tallied their first run of the season in the bottom of the second inning, as a double steal featuring pitcher Alexis Bogdanovich (South Portland, Maine) and Scafidi was successful, advancing Bogdanovich to second and Scafidi to home plate.
On the mound for the Hawks was Bogdanovich, who twirled six no-hit innings before allowing a lead-off double to center fielder Amber Getty. A sacrifice bunt by second baseman Morgan Greenfield advanced Getty to third base, preceding a game-tying sacrifice fly by Arlie DeYoung. In the next three half innings, the Hawks and Panthers traded single runs before the decisive final inning.
Cumulatively in the first game, Bogdanovich hurled eight innings, allowing only one earned run while striking out five Davenport batters. Cormier (1-0) allowed one unearned run in the top of the ninth inning, but earned the win as the Hawks walked off with the victory. Cole earned the loss, allowing only one earned run while walking four and striking out eight Hawks.
In the afternoon game against Gannon, the Hawks plated two runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a one-run lead which they would not relinquish. A leadoff walk by Boucher preceded a sacrifice bunt by infielder Hannah Byrne (Lynn, Mass.), advancing the baserunner. The next batter, center fielder Monique Gauthier (Canton, Conn.), smacked her first home run of the season to drive in Boucher for the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the late innings of the matinee.
An RBI single by second baseman Kirstie Cortazzo plated an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning to grant Gannon their only run of the contest. Leadoff batter Katie Killian reached on an error by the pitcher and came around to score following a bunt single, a sacrifice and Cortazzo's single.
Gauthier posted the only multi-hit game for Saint Anselm in the day's second game, while Jaleesa Sledge and Caitlyn Colucci each went 2-for-3 for Gannon.
Cormier earned the start in the day's second game, picking up her second win of the season by allowing only three hits in five innings and no earned runs. In relief, pitcher Tayla Trask (Lincoln, Maine) made her Saint Anselm debut, throwing two innings while striking out three Golden Knights for her first career save. For Gannon, Megan Dragon drew her first defeat of the season, allowing two earned runs through seven innings pitched while striking out nine Hawks.
NOTABLES: Saint Anselm last posted two victories in their season-opening day of action on Mar. 1, 2009, defeating Saint Vincent and Saint Mary of the Woods by a combined 21-to-4 margin…Center fielder Monique Gauthier has a three-game hitting streak dating back to last season, collecting four hits in her last 12 at-bats (4-for-12, .333) across that span…Pitcher Paige Cormier collected the first two victories of her collegiate career this afternoon.
Saint Anselm returns to action Tuesday, Feb. 28 against Saint Xavier University and two games against Florida Southern College with action beginning at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. Follow along with all of the action via our Live Stats application, available by clicking here. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by joining the Hawks on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/STAHawks) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/STAHawks).
Photos courtesy of Saint Anselm College student-assistant Joe Gill.
