PRIDE EARN SPLIT WITH SVC ON SENIOR DAY

WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College softball team walked off with a 3-2 win in eight innings in game one of a doubleheader with Southern Vermont College, but the Mountaineers responded with a 4-2 win in the nightcap as the two teams split a New England Collegiate Conference twinbill on a rainy and cold Saturday afternoon in Weston, Mass.

The team honored its lone senior, Shannon Bradish (Lawrence, Mass.), in a pregame ceremony to honor her contributions to Regis College and its athletic department.

The Pride struck first in the opening game as Kelsey Morton (South Portland, Maine) legged out an infield single to score Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) from third to give Regis an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Cuozzo did not allow a hit until the top of the fifth inning as SVC's Mallory Celeste (Gansevoort, N.Y.) led off the inning with a double to right-center. After Brianne Nichols (Watervliet, N.Y.) reached on a Pride error, Celeste and Nichols were sacrificed into scoring position by Hannah Cross (Bennington, Vt.). Kristin Buchan (Albany, N.Y.) followed with a sac fly to left, scoring Celeste and tying the game at 1-1.

Alyssa McKinnon (Raynham, Mass.) led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to right center, before being pinch ran for by Angelica Arredondo (Merrimac, Mass.). Arredondo moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and then scored on an RBI single from Allison Caloggero (Medford, Mass.) to put the Pride back on top 2-1.

Southern Vermont answered in the top of the seventh as Mallory Celeste cranked a single to the gap in left center, allowing Shelby Jones (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) to score all the way from first and tie the game at 2-2. Cuozzo avoided any more damage by getting a strikeout and the final two outs of the inning. The Pride were retired in order in their half of the seventh as the game spilled into extra innings.

With a runner placed on second for SVC, Cuozzo got the first out of the inning on a flyout before giving up a single to Erika Garay (Walnut, Calif.). Both runners moved up on a Rachel Robtoy (Baltic, Conn.) groundout, and with two runners in scoring position, Cuozzo induced an inning-ending groundout to preserve the 2-2 tie.

In the bottom of the inning, Rachel DesRochers (Westford, Mass.) was placed on second, and moved to third as a dropped third strike put the game-winning run only 60 feet away. McKinnon stepped to the plate and ripped a single to centerfield that allowed DesRochers to score from third easily and gave the Pride a walk-off 3-2 win in game one.

McKinnon went 2-for-4 in the first game, while DesRochers, Calogerro, Cuozzo, Michaela NeJaime (Sandisfield, Mass.), and Kelsey Morton each had hits in the game. Cuozzo picked up her seventh win of the season, tossing eight innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with three strikeouts.

Mallory Celeste went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in the opener and Erika Garay had the only other hit for the Mountaineers. Emily Fleming (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, while Lauryn Zovistoski (Granville, N.Y.) went the final 1.1 innings and allowed only one hit and one unearned run while striking out three batters in the setback.

In game two, Regis threatened early with runners on the corners in the bottom of the first, but SVC's Hayley McDonald (Latham, N.Y.) got the third out of the inning on a groundout to keep it a 0-0 game. Following a quiet second inning, Southern Vermont scored three runs in the top of the third as Lauryn Zovistoski had an RBI single that scored McDonald and Shelby Jones followed with a two-run single of her own to make it a 3-0 game. Regis got a run back in their half of the third as Sam Bliss (Framingham, Mass.) scored on a Mountaineer error to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Zovistoski struck again in the top of the fifth as she drove in Rachel Robtoy with an RBI single to push the SVC lead back to three runs at 4-1. Michaela NeJaime led off the bottom of the inning with a double down the rightfield line and came around to score on the next play as Sam Bliss stroked a double down the line in left to make it a two run game.

Cuozzo retired the side in order for the Pride in the top of the sixth, but she was matched by Emily Fleming, who had come on in relief for SVC in the sixth inning. Cuozzo kept the Mountaineer bats quiet in the top of the seventh, and Fleming followed suit in the bottom of the inning, getting three outs despite hitting a batter, and earning her second save of the season.

Kirbie Garvey (Littleton, Mass.) and Sam Bliss each went 2-for-3 in the nightcap, with Bliss driving in a run and scoring a run. Michaela NeJaime recorded the other hit for the Pride. Bliss suffered the setback allowing three runs on five hits in three innings of work. Cuozzo pitched the final four innings, scattering five hits and giving up one unearned run.

Rachel Robtoy and Lauryn Zovistoski were both 2-for-4 in game two with Hayley McDonald and Emily Fleming each going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Zovistoski and Shelby Jones each had two RBI apiece. Hayley McDonald improved to 6-6 this season while going five innings and giving up five hits and two runs (one earned). Emily Fleming did not give up a hit in two innings of relief work for her second save.

The Pride wrap up the NECC regular season at 9-18 overall and 8-10 in the NECC and await word on a possible NECC Tournament bid. Southern Vermont will try and improve their playoff odds on Sunday when they host Becker College in a conference doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.