WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Junior
Audrey Arsenault (Stow, Mass.) secured the win for the Saint Anselm College softball team over Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a walk-off double to defeat the Crimson Hawks by a final score of 5-4 on Friday at The Spring Games. The Hawks now own a 7-12 overall record after going 1-1 on the day.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm concludes their Florida trip tomorrow Saturday, March 16 for a two-game day against Wayne State University and Hillsdale College. The Hawks open game one against Wayne State with a 10:00 a.m. start time.
Score: Saint Anselm 2, Shepard 5
Win: M. Ruffner (6-0)
Loss: S. Ryan (0-6)
Records: Saint Anselm 6-12; Shepard 9-7
Location: Winter Haven, Fla.
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1):
- Sophomore Rose Reitmeyer (Oxford, Conn.) opened the first game with a double to right center for Saint Anselm. She later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Ava Caputo (Waterford, N.Y.) to put the Hawks up 1-0 early.
- In the bottom of the first, Shepard quickly answered by putting up three runs in their first at-bat to take a 3-1 lead. After a quiet couple of innings, Saint Anselm narrowed Shepard's advantage to one run as junior Sam Wiberg (Exeter N.H.) reached home on a passed ball to make it 3-2.
- The Rams bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth producing four hits including a two-RBI single by Alex Mantz to extend Shepard's lead to 5-2.
- Senior Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and senior Hannah Ramer (Rehoboth, Mass.) each posted a hit apiece in the final innings of the game, but Shepard took game one by a final score of 5-2.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Shepard posted five runs on six hits while Saint Anselm produced two runs on four hits in the game.
- Caputo picked up the only RBI for the Hawks while Reitmeyer went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double and stolen base.
- Mantz led the Crimson Hawks after going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run while Ruffner also earned two RBI for Shepard.
- Freshman Sam Ryan (Tewksbury, Mass.) picked up the loss after allowing three earned runs in the opening inning. Junior Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.) checked into the game throwing for six innings and allowing two earned runs on two hits along with a pair of strikeouts.
Score: Saint Anselm 5, Indiana (Pa.) 4
Win: H. Hicks (6-0)
Loss: K. Young (5-3)
Records: Saint Anselm 8-12; Indiana (Pa.) 14-6
Location: Winter Haven, Fla.
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2):
- The Crimson Hawks tacked on the first run of the game following an RBI single by Paige Truax to put Indiana (Pa.) up 1-0. In the next inning, Indiana (Pa.) doubled their advantage as Kelly Szolek doubled to score Jess Cekada.
- For the following four innings, senior pitcher Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) held Indiana (Pa.) to just four hits to keep the Crimson Hawks off the scoreboard. Saint Anselm's bats then came alive in the bottom of the sixth which was kicked started by a single from Caputo. After Wiberg walked to put two runners on base with two outs, freshman Jamie Calkins (Charlton, Mass.) lasered the ball for a double to score both Caputo and Wiberg, tying the game up at 2-2. Freshman Sarah Cipriani (Woodbury, Conn.) then singled to advance Calkins to third and later scored on the throw home to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead.
- Indiana (Pa.) battled in the top of the seventh posting four hits and scoring the tying run thanks to an RBI single from Griffin to force the game into extra innings. The Crimson Hawks took a 4-3 advantage in the top of the eighth as Pusateri scored Cekada with a single.
- O'Hara laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance freshman Brooke Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.), checking into the game as a pinch runner, to third base in the bottom of the eighth. Junior Alyssa Wironen (Leominster, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice that brought Tardugno home and evened the score at 4-4.
- Junior Julia Howse (North Reading, Mass.) started the bottom of the ninth by stealing third base on the very first pitch. Junior Audrey Arsenault (Stow, Mass.) then sealed the win with a walk-off double to defeat the Crimson Hawks 5-4.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Despite the score, Indiana (Pa.) recorded 15 hits in comparison to Saint Anslem with six hits in the game.
- Calkins went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Hawks highlighted by a two-RBI double along with one run and a stolen base. Arsenault recorded the walk-off double in the game going 2-for-4 while Wironen also posted an RBI in the win.
- Hicks picked up her sixth straight win on the mound for Saint Anselm after pitching all nine innings. She allowed three earned runs on 15 hits and also struck out three batters.
- Kendall Young earned the loss for Indiana (Pa.) after throwing for eight innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits.
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