REGIS TAKES TWO AT SOUTHERN VERMONT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. – After a long layoff, the Regis College softball team returned to action showing no signs of rust in their sweep of the Southern Vermont Mountaineers during New England Collegiate Conference action on Thursday afternoon at the Adirondack Sports Complex in Queensbury, N.Y. The Crimson and Gold took the first game 5-2 and then beat the Mountaineers handily in game two 14-3.

The two victories are the Pride's first conference wins of the season and improve their record to 3-4, 2-0 NECC. The Mountaineers fall to 2-5, 0-2 NECC on the year.

Regis 5, Southern Vermont 2

Senior pitcher Emily Fleming (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) got off to a strong start on the rubber, striking out the Regis side in the top of the first. SVC used a walk and a sacrifice to get a runner in scoring position, but the Pride were able to execute a 1-3-5 double play on a chopper back to the pitcher to get out of the inning.

The top of the second saw Fleming retire the first two batters she faced, but Regis then got a string of hits together to grab the lead. A Kelsey Heath (Lowell, Mass.) shot to right center bounced over the fence for the ground-rule double, and the Pride then got some help from the roof when a pop-up to Fleming ricocheted away from the Mountaineer fielders before finding fair territory. Sophomore shortstop Rachel DesRochers (Westford, Mass.) then ripped a grounder up the middle for the first RC run to cross the dish. Leftfielder Kirbie Garvey (Littleton, Mass.) then beat out a ball hit to second while Rachel Tortora (Malden, Mass.) came in to score; DesRochers rounded second and faulted on the base path as SVC returned the ball to the pitcher's circle, being called out to end the inning.

Southern Vermont answered with one in the bottom of the frame as a pair of Regis mishaps came back to hurt. Shortstop Shelby Jones (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) advanced to second on a Kirstin Buchan (Troy, N.Y.) bloop to right that found its way between three Pride fielders, and the senior then came in to score as the throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt was sent into the outfield. With runners at the corners and no outs, Emily Fleming got a hold of one on what looked to be a promising liner; the ball was snagged by DesRochers at short, however, and hurler Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) then got out of a jam with two straight strikeouts.

Both sides went down in order in the third, Fleming working two K's from the circle while Alyssa McKinnon (Raynham, Mass.) was a part of three infield ground outs in the bottom of the box. Cuozzo started the top of the fourth with a laced shot to the gap in right center, a ball that found its way to the fence as she made her way safely to third. Heath followed with a one-out liner that glanced off Fleming's glove before finding its way up the middle through the infield, easily scoring the Pride hurler from third. That would be all RC would get in the inning as Fleming got the next two batters, sending the game to the bottom of the fourth with Regis on top 3-1.

A lead-off error would be quickly erased as SVC was doubled-off on a liner back to the pitcher. RC got out of the inning but wouldn't be in the dugout for long as Fleming put down the Pride in order to get out of the top of the fifth. Southern Vermont senior left fielder Michelle Flores (Pico Rivera, Calif.) roped a one-out seeing-eye single through the left side in the bottom of the frame, but she would be caught stealing for the inning to end with Regis clinging to its 3-1 edge.

The Pride were able to pad their advantage in the top of the sixth after loading the pond with no outs on three straight singles. Fleming was able to induce a pop-out and a fly-out to center, but DesRochers wouldn't let her get out of it that easily as she tagged a two-run double to left for the 5-1 lead.

Southern Vermont tacked up one of its own in the bottom of the sixth to get back to within three. A Rachel Robtoy (Baltic, Conn.) walk would result in a Mountaineer run as she scored on the subsequent at bat; Brianne Nichols (Albany, N.Y.) dropped one into shallow right, allowing Robtoy to touch second and keep motoring on to third. Jenna Casello (Westborough, Mass.) tried to gun her out from right, but the ball sailed to the dead ball area for the SVC captain to be awarded home. The inning was extended when Southern Vermont got some help of its own from the dome's cover, a Buchan pop-up bouncing off the roof and finding the turf before RC junior second baseman Michaela NeJaime (Sandisfield, Mass.) could get her whole glove around it. Cuozzo worked out of the first-and-third situation, however, as an inning-ending liner to first kept it a 5-2 Regis upper hand.

The seventh saw six straight outs as both sides went down in order, Cuozzo getting the last two Mountaineers to go down on strikes for the complete-game victory.

Cuozzo hurled a complete game effort, earning her second win of the season by allowing only 1 earned run to score, four hits, two walks while striking out five mountaineers. She also helped her cause at the plate going 2-for-3. Rachel DesRochers raked at the plate going 2-of-3 with a game-high three RBIs. Kelsey Heath also went 2-for-3 and drove home a run.

Regis 14, Southern Vermont 3 – 5 Innings

Regis jumped out to a quick 3-0 in the top of the first of game two after loading the bases with two outs. Alexa NeJamie (Sandisfield, Mass.) ripped one toward the middle where Rachel Robtoy extended to snag the ball, but the Mountaineer didn't have enough time to record an out after picking herself off the turf as a pair of Pride runners crossed the plate. An SVC fielding miscue allowed the third runner to come in before a ground out to Robtoy ended the frame.

RC wouldn't stay ahead for long as Southern Vermont came back with three in the home half of the first. Center fielder Erika Garay (Walnut, Calif.) got on with a slap up the middle, and Brianne Nichols then dropped one into center to put runners on the corners. A fly out and strong throw to the plate kept them there with two outs, but that's when Emily Fleming came through with a blast to center, her first homer of the season being a three-run shot to tie things up.

The top of the second saw the Pride put up a crooked number with a few deep knocks. A throwing error put RC runners at first and third with one down, and Katie Cuozzo then brought them both in when she stepped into one and sent it to the fence in right for the three-bagger. With ducks still at the corners, Regis tried a double steal that paid off more than the Pride had hoped for; a pair of throwing miscues by SVC allowed both runs to score for RC to take a 7-3 lead. After a single and a pop out, Kirbie Garvey launched her second dinger of the year over Garay's head in center for the Pride to go up 9-3 with the two-out blast.

After the Mountaineers went down in order to complete the second inning, Rachel DesRochers slapped a two-out triple to right. She would be stranded there, however, as Buchan made the third out from short. Pride pitcher Marissa Magarian (Goffstown, N.H.) induced three straight ground outs in the bottom of the third to keep the score intact, and the Pride put up another pair in their following trip to the plate. Two doubles down the line in left brought the first run around to score before Michaela NeJamie plated her sister Alexa with an RBI single to center.

Regis was able to erase a lead-off SVC double in the bottom of the fourth when Heath caught a fly ball and fired to second for the double play. The hot RC hitting continued into the fifth as four singles and another Pride triple gave way for three runs and the 14-3 lead. The Mountaineers worked a pair of runners to scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, but Magarian got the final out by way of a pop up to end the game with the complete-game win.

Marissa Magarian earned her first victory of the season firing five innings of three run ball, allowing five hits and striking out two batters. Katie Cuozzo went 3-for-4 at the plate driving in three runs, Alyssa McKinnon scored four runs and went 3-for-4 as well with an RBI. Rachel DesRochers went 4-for-4 during the contest with a triple and two runs scored. Kirbie Garvey roped her second home run of the season for her only hit.

The Pride return to action when they travel to Framingham State for a doubleheader on Wednesday April 8th at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.

Release Courtesy of Southern Vermont College Sports Information