MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Saint Anselm College softball team split its first day of action at the Space Coast Games, shutting out Ursuline College, 1-0, before falling to Minot State University, 4-3, in nine innings at the Space Coast Complex on Thursday.
Game 1: Saint Anselm 1, Ursuline 0
Highlights
- Saint Anselm improves to 7-2 all-time against Ursuline
- Junior Kendra Lee improved to 3-0 in her fifth appearance of the season, throwing complete games in all three of her starts, including two shutouts. In 28.2 innings pitched this season, she has allowed just three runs, as she ranks second in the NE10 with a 0.73 ERA.
- On Thursday, Lee went the full seven innings, allowing four hits with three strikeouts.
- Junior Madeline Trisket went 1-2 with a bunt single that drove in the game's lone run.
- After sophomore Zaynah Wotkowicz got on base in the fifth, senior Lily Mason came in to pinch run, eventually coming in to score on Trisket's bunt.
- Sophomore Alexa Salafia went 1-3 with a single, and sophomore Katie Fox had a stolen base after drawing a walk.
How it Happened
Neither team had a runner in scoring position until the bottom of the fifth after Wotkowicz reached on an error, making it to second base to lead off the inning. Mason came in to pinch run, and after a sacrifice bunt got her to third, Trisket laid down another bunt that would bring her in to score.
Ursuline finally got a run on second with no one out in the top of the seventh, but after a bunt to the pitcher, Lee secured the 1-0 win with a pop out and a groundout to second base for the final two outs.
Game 2: Minot State 4, Saint Anselm 3 (9 inn.)
Highlights
- Saint Anselm is now 0-2 all-time against Minot State, dropping to 5-3 on the year.
- Junior Katie Tournas went 1-4 with an RBI and a single, and classmate Sarah Cipriani had two hits and a run batted in with a stolen base.
- Freshman Haleigh Kelley scored once after recording one base hit, and senior Rose Reitmeyer also scored, drawing one walk and stealing two bases.
- Sophomore Alyssa Adams went 1-1 with an RBI single and had an outfield assist.
- Junior Mackenzie Bergen falls to 1-1 on the season despite pitching 3.1 impressive innings, allowing just one hit and one run, unearned, with a strikeout.
- Salafia got the start in the circle, earning a no-decision, going 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs.
How it Happened
Reitmeyer led off the game with a walk, stealing second base, and then instantly coming in to score after an RBI single from Tournas. Minot State tied the score in the second, 1-1, after a leadoff double and an RBI single in back-to-back at-bats got the Beavers on the board.
Cipriani broke the tie in the top of the fourth with an RBI double to left, but with runners on second and third with one out, the Hawks popped into a double play on a bunt attempt to end the half inning.
Minot State took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth, nearly scoring a fourth run, but Adams threw out a runner at home to limit the damage on an RBI single.
With the Hawks down to their final out in the seventh, Adams came through again, plating the tying run on an RBI single, driving in Tardugno. After a scoreless eighth inning, the Hawks were unable to score in the top of the ninth, and the Beavers would win on a sacrifice fly to deep left in foul ground, 4-3.
Up Next
The Saint Anselm softball team (5-3, 0-0 NE10) continues play in Melbourne, Fla., for day two of the Space Coast Games, tomorrow, Friday, March 13, against Ferris State at 10 a.m., followed by Felician at 12:15 p.m. at the Space Coast Complex.
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