MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sophomore
Rose Reitmeyer (Oxford, Conn.) blasted two home runs to help the Saint Anselm College softball team split results during a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) on Tuesday. The Hawks defeated the Penmen 5-1 in game one to pick up their first conference win of the season.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm is back home to host Saint Michael's College (originally scheduled for Sunday, April 7) on Thursday, April 11 for an NE10 twinbill starting at 2:00 p.m. from the South Athletic Fields.
Game 1 Score: Saint Anselm 5, SNHU 1
W: H. Hicks (9-4)
L. McKechnie (4-5)
Records: Saint Anselm 9-17 (1-4 NE10); SNHU 11-12 (2-3 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (South Athletic Fields)
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1):
- In the bottom of the second inning, junior Audrey Arsenault (Stow, Mass.) ripped the ball to the shortstop for the first Hawks hit of the day, putting runners at first and second base. Junior Alyssa Wironen (Leominster, Mass.) then doubled to right center field, scoring junior Stephanie Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.) and Arsenault to put Saint Anselm up, 2-0.
- Senior Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) struck out her fourth batter of the game followed by two ground outs to retire the side in the third inning. The Hawks doubled their lead in the bottom of the third by scoring two more runs. Junior Ava Caputo (Waterford, N.Y.) opened the inning with a double to left field before tagging home on a throwing error. Senior Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) hit a sacrifice ground out to bring freshman Jamie Calkins (Charlton, Mass.) home and make it 4-0, Hawks.
- After a quiet couple of innings, Reitmeyer kicked off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to deep center field to extend Saint Anselm's advantage to 5-0.
- The Penmen tacked on a late run in the top of the seventh as Mackenzie Bruggeman notched an RBI double to score Shannon Gifford.
- The Hawks sealed the 5-1 victory after Charlotte Donovan grounded out to the second baseman, senior Hannah Ramer (Rehoboth, Mass.), securing the first conference win of the season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS (Game 1):
- Saint Anselm posted five runs on six hits with zero errors while Southern N.H. only scored once off three hits, recording one error in the game.
- Caputo and Wironen each doubled in the contest while Reitmeyer blasted a solo home run for the extra base hits. The Penmen also produced two doubles and Grace Jenkins picked up the lone stolen base of the game.
- Arsenault went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored, while Wironen earned a pair of RBIs after going 1-for-2.
- Hicks earned her first conference win of the season in the circle after throwing all seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits. She recorded nine strikeouts and gave up two walks after facing 26 Penmen batters.
Game 2 Score: Saint Anselm 4, SNHU 5
W: J. Colbert (1-0)
L: S. DiPippo (0-5)
S: H. DeRock (1)
Records: Saint Anselm 9-18 (1-5 NE10); SNHU 12-12 (3-3 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (South Athletic Fields)
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Attendance: 147
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2):
- Junior Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.), making her fifth start on the rubber, struck out her first batter in the second inning to retire the side with game two still scoreless. Southern N.H. got on the scoreboard first after Jordyn Resetar tallied an RBI single to go up 1-0.
- In the top of the fourth, the Penmen added another run thanks to an RBI single from Amelia Ferrier to double the visitor's advantage. Southern N.H. cashed in two more runs in the top of the fifth off three hits to take a 4-0 lead.
- The Hawks responded in the bottom of the fifth as Calkins doubled to left center followed by double from Reitmeyer to give Saint Anselm their first run of the contest. After Reitmeyer stole third base, O'Hara posted an RBI single to left field to cut the Penmen's lead in half.
- Southern N.H. scored a late run in the top of the sixth as Resetar singled down the left field line to score Ferrier and make it 5-2 game. Freshman pitcher Sam Ryan (Tewksbury, Mass.), who checked into the game at the top of the sixth, struck out Bruggeman to retire the side heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
- Calkins kicked off the inning for the Hawks with a single to the shortstop. Reitmeyer then stepped up to the plate and ripped the ball over the left field fence for her second home run of the day to narrow the Penmen's lead to one run. However, Southern N.H. secured the win to split the series, taking game two by a final score of 5-4.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS (Game 2):
- SNHU scored five runs on 12 hits while Saint Anselm produced four runs on 11 hits. Both teams recorded one error in the second game of the day.
- Reitmeyer ended game two going 3-for-3 for the Hawks with three RBI, two runs scored, a home run, a double, and a stolen base. O'Hara went 2-for-4 posting one RBI, while Calkins also had a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored and a double.
- DiPippo picked up the loss after throwing five innings, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits along with three punchouts. Ryan pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out two batters.
- This marked the 60th meeting between these two rivals with the Hawks now 27-33 against the Penmen in the all-time series. Saint Anselm holds an 8-4 record versus Southern N.H. since the 2021 season.
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