SOFTBALL DROPS TWO TO URSULINE IN FINALE OF FASTPITCH DREAMS SPRING CLASSIC

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Ursuline College recorded a pair of victories of the Emmanuel College softball team this morning in Day 5 action of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. The Arrows took game one by a 7-1 final before recording an 8-0 win in five innings in game two. The Saints fall to 3-7 on the year while UC now stands at 4-3 overall.

Game 1 Recap

Emmanuel opened the scoring in the top of the second as junior first baseman Kayla Howard (Belmont, N.H.) was hit by a pitch, stole second and then came around on an errant throw to give EC the 1-0 lead.

The Arrows would take the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning as junior shortstop Michele Hare (Pickerington, Ohio) and senior catcher Samantha Gauvin (Coventry, R.I.) connected on RBI singles to make it 2-1 after two innings of play.

A two-run blast to dead center in the third inning by freshman left fielder Rachel Wells (Keystone Heights, Fla.) put Ursuline ahead 4-1.

EC freshman centerfield Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) connected on a double to the right field wall in the fifth but the Arrows were able to strand her on third to get out of the inning still leading by three runs.

In the sixth, the Arrows would plate two more runs to increase their lead to 6-1.  Sophomore centerfield Samantha Roberts (Euclid, Ohio) led off with a single and senior right fielder Megan Passwaiter (Willowick, Ohio) drew a walk to open the inning. After the duo pulled off a double steal to move up a base, junior first baseman Natalie Huggins (North Robinson, Ohio) and Wells executed back-to-back sacrifice flies to push Roberts and Paawaiter home to give Ursuline its largest lead of the game at 6-1.

Ursuline would add an unearned run in the sixth to make it 7-1.

Junior starting pitcher Sarah Maxwell (Fayette, Maine) was dominant for the Arrows allowing just the one unearned run on three hits while striking out seven.

Senior hurler Kelly Lloid (Issaquah, Wash.) suffered the loss for the Saints and falls to 1-3 on the year.

Game 2 Recap

Ursuline jumped out to the early 1-0 lead, plating a run in the top of the first as Roberts led off the game with a single up the middle. The sophomore would advance to second of a wild pitch and then move over to third on a ground out. She would score on an RBI groundout by Huggins.

In the second, an RBI single through the left side of the infield by Gauvin made it 2-0. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Passwaiter found a hole in the right side of the infield to record a two-RBI single to make it 4-0. The Arrows would tack on four more unearned runs in the frame to build the lead up to 8-0.

UC senior starting pitcher Ciara Seymour (New Port Richey, Fla.) was in control on the mound for the first three innings of action, allowing just one hit, a come-backer by EC junior Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) in the second. She would earn the victory, recording a pair of strikeouts to go with just one walk in the outing.

Sophomore Nicole Schierbaum (Brook Park, Ohio) would come on in relief and shut the Saints down in the final two frames, allowing just one hit, a single by freshman Anna Mahoney (Franklin, Mass).

Freshman Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) pitched well for EC in relief, working the final three innings, allowing no hits and no runs while recording three strikeouts.