MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm College softball team split Friday afternoon's doubleheader against the Setters of Pace University at the South Athletic Fields. With the split, the Hawks overall record stands at 18-26 while their mark within the Northeast-10 Conference stands at 12-16. The Setters boast an overall record of 28-18 with a conference mark of 15-13.
Despite a five-run bottom of the seventh inning, the Hawks were unable to fully overcome a 6-0 deficit, falling to the Setters by a 6-5 margin. Pace struck first in the contest, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. Center fielder Sabrina Gonzalez led off the game with a triple to left field, just eluding the grasp of left fielder Mary Fay (Stoughton, Mass.). Left fielder Nicole Schultheis smacked a double to left field that easily plated Gonzalez with the game's first run. Following two quick outs induced by Hawks starter Alexis Bogdanovich (South Portland, Maine), the big blast came from catcher Hana Wright, who homered to deep right center field to extend the lead.
Three consecutive singles by Schultheis, shortstop Jeane Drury and first baseman Natalie Gellos drove in one run while a wild pitch from Paige Cormier (Rochester, N.H.) plated Drury later in the frame to grant the Setters a 5-0 lead. Second baseman Lana Buchbinder came around to score the sixth run of the game for Pace in the sixth inning as a deep fly ball by Gonzalez was not fielded cleanly following confusion between the outfielders, granting them their sixth-straight run in a row.
The Hawks made an attempt at a rally in the seventh inning, but were unable to overcome the six run deficit completely. Third baseman Hannah Byrne (Lynn, Mass.) singled to second base following a hard-hit ground ball. Second baseman Kasey Moran (Medford, Mass.) sacrificed pinch runner Danielle DiBiase (South Portland, Maine) to second base. Fay then singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw that also advanced DiBiase to third base. Shortstop Nicole Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.) clubbed a three-run home run to left field, scoring both Fay and DiBiase.
Saint Anselm went back-to-back as center fielder Monique Gauthier (Canton, Conn.) struck the next offering from pitcher Caitlin McCann over the center field fence. With the bases cleared, catcher Lauren Galavotti (Marion, Mass.) singled to the pitcher, stole second and later scored on an RBI double by first baseman Olivia Story (Middleton, Mass.) to bring Saint Anselm within one run. Reliever Kayla Hill induced a fly out to end both the Hawks rally and the game.
Bogdanovich was saddled with the loss, allowing three earned runs within the first inning. Cormier allowed only two earned runs in relief of Bogdanovich across five whole innings. Freshman Aimee LaLancette (Mason, N.H.) settled down the Setters in the seventh inning, hurling a scoreless frame. McCann was credited with the victory despite allowing four earned runs through 6 2/3 innings. Hill earned her second save of the season, allowing one earned run in 1/3 of an inning.
Saint Anselm struck first in the second game of the doubleheader and never looked back, earning a hard-fought 9-5 victory. Right fielder Kristen Peffer (Cumberland, R.I.) led off the inning by smacking a double to center field. Byrne followed with a single to center field with Peffer advancing to third base on the throw. Designated player Cara Crowley (Lynn, Mass.) grounded out to shortstop, plating Peffer with the game's first run. Second baseman Kat Scafidi (Hudson, N.H.) singled to left field, scoring Byrne. The big hit of the second game came off the bat of Fay, who hit a deep fly ball to left field that bounced off of the center fielder's glove for a two-run home run to cap a four-run inning with her first collegiate home run.
Pace answered with two in the next frame, capitalizing on a Gonzalez single to left field that plated two runs. The Hawks responded with a single run in the fourth inning as an infield single by Boucher scored Scafidi, who reached on a dropped fly ball by Schultheis in left field. In the visiting half of the sixth inning, Wright hammered a two-run home run to center field following a Gellos leadoff walk to cut the score to 5-4.
Saint Anselm added crucial insurance runs in the home half of the sixth inning, plating four runs to capture a 9-4 lead. For the second time in the game, Peffer led off an inning with a single. Byrne, once again, followed Peffer with a single, advancing pinch runner Hayley Lombard (Coral Springs, Fla.) to second base on the play. Crowley came through with an RBI single to left field, scoring Lombard and advancing Byrne to second base. DiBiase pinch ran for Byrne and came around to score following an error by the shortstop. Boucher added an additional two runs with a double to right center field, scoring Scafidi and Crowley with the final runs for Saint Anselm.
Pace attempted a rally in the visiting half of the seventh inning as Schultheis scored on a Gellos single up the middle for the fifth and final run of the game, but Hawks starter Tayla Trask (Lincoln, Maine) forced right fielder Samantha Garcia to foul out to first base to end the game.
Trask pitched a complete game, allowing only five earned runs and three strikeouts. Chelsea Shea drew the loss, allowing four earned runs through two innings of work. Hill allowed three earned runs across four innings of relief.
NOTABLES: Left fielder Mary Fay smacked her first collegiate home run this afternoon…Shortstop Nicole Boucher is a team-leading 12-for-14 in stolen base attempts…Right fielder Kristen Peffer is riding a modest six-game hit streak and has collected at least one hit in seven of her last eight games and nine of her last 11 games…The Hawks out-hit their opponent by batting a combined .383 (23-for-60) across today's doubleheader - each member of the starting lineup had a hit this afternoon…Pitcher Aimee LaLancette has allowed zero runs across her last three appearances.
Join the softball team as they honor both graduating seniors, Fay and Scafidi, at Senior Day tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. at the South Athletic Fields. The Hawks play host to the Panthers of Adelphi University in a doubleheader to conclude the regular season. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by following the Hawks on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/STAHawks) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/STAHawks).
