SOFTBALL SCORES THREE IN 7TH TO TOP URSINUS, 7-5

CLERMONT, Fla. – Trailing 5-4 heading into the seventh inning, the Emmanuel College softball team scored three runs in the final frame to come-from-behind and beat Ursinus College, 7-5, Tuesday afternoon at Foundation Academy in Day 3 action of the National Training Center games. The Saints improve to 3-3 on the year while the loss dips the Bears to 3-3 overall.

Down a run heading into the final frame, Emmanuel got the rally started with a leadoff double by freshman designated player Ashley Skey (Brooklin, N.H.). Skey, who had previously been walked three times on the afternoon, laced a double to right center field to put the tying run in scoring position. Junior Catherine Edmonds (Acton, Mass.) pinch ran for Skey and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Samantha Adams (Sanford, Maine). Sophomore third baseman Abbey Alexiades (Kingston, Mass.) came up in the clutch with the game-tying RBI single to centerfield to make it a 5-5 game.

Freshman Elyse Moretti (Cranston, R.I.) pinch ran for Alexiades representing the go-ahead run at first base and advanced to third on a double to left center by freshman catcher Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) to put two in scoring position with one out. Junior pinch hitter Kara Madden (Silver Spring, Md.) picked the perfect time to deliver her first hit of the season, singling through the right side to drive in Moretti to make it 6-5. On the throw home, Madden advanced to second which drew another throw by Ursinus which allowed Sheehan to scamper home for an insurance run to give the Saints a 7-5 lead.

The two run cushion was more than enough for junior pitcher Jill Killcoyne (Worcester, Mass.). On in relief, Killcoyne tossed the final two innings to earn her first win of the year allowing no runs, one hit while striking out four. Ursinus freshman pitcher Kayla Quinn (Cheltenham, Pa.) suffered the loss in her first collegiate start going 6 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits while striking out four.

EC got on the board first with an RBI single in the opening inning by freshman starting pitcher Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) to make it 1-0. The Bears answered with two in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead powered by back-to-back triples by junior Casey Derella (Millville, N.J.) and freshman Callie Crouse (Chesapeake City, Md.).

Emmanuel regained the lead with two runs in the third to go ahead 3-2 with an RBI single from Adams who would score the Saints third run following an Ursinus error. The Bears got it back and tied the score at 3-3 with an unearned run in the bottom of the third.

The Saints made it 4-3 with an RBI groundout by Alexiades in the top of the fifth but the lead was short lived as Ursinus scored two in the bottom half of the inning on RBI singles from Crouse and freshman Sarah Snider (Levittown, Pa.) to set the stage for the late game heroics.

Adams finished the game going 2-2 at the plate, scoring two runs to go along with an RBI and also pitched well in relief, hurling 4 1/3 innings allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out four. Senior shortstop Cat Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) also had two hits on a pair of doubles.

The Saints are off tomorrow and play next on Thursday, March 10 at 5:00 PM against Wesleyan University. Ursinus is back in action tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM, also against Wesleyan University.