Two Big Innings Lift Pride to Victory in Extras

LITTLE RIVER, S.C. - The Regis (Mass.) softball team scored six runs in the fourth inning and four in the ninth as the Pride picked up a 10-6 extra inning win over Sage on Wednesday morning at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex.

With the win, the Pride improves to 2-3 on the season, and returns to action later this afternoon with a contest slated for 4:30 p.m. against Medaille. Sage is already under way in its second game of the day, taking on Randolph.

Sage appeared in control of the ballgame early on, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after three innings on two RBIs from freshman Emily Agate (Franklin Square, N.Y.) and an RBI double from Brittany Brooks (North Bangor, N.Y.). Defensively, pitcher Amy Hart (St. Johnsville, N.Y.) was dealing in the circle, with a no-hitter going into the fourth inning, but the Pride bats would come alive in the inning.

The Pride loaded up the bases with nobody out in the inning, and got on the board when senior catcher Alexa Nejaime (Sandisfield, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, driving in freshman Kayla Pieta (Middletown, Conn.) from third base. Two batters later, junior Erika Andreoli (Naugatuck, Conn.) walked with the bases loaded to cut the score to 3-2, and two batters after her, starting pitcher Alyssa Rossillo (Sudbury, Mass.) delivered a clutch bases-clearing double over the head of the leftfielder to put the Pride on top 5-3. Kelsey Grimard (Pelham, N.H.) drove home Rossillo to run the lead to 6-3 with a base hit to center as the Pride sent 10 to the plate in the inning.

The Gators slowly chipped away though, cutting the score to 6-4 on a groundout from Brooks for her second RBI of the game in the fifth inning. An inning later, Sage would level the score on back-to-back two-out base hits off the bats of Agate and junior Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, N.Y.). In the bottom of the seventh, the Gators were on the brink of a walkoff, but with one out and the bases loaded, relief pitcher Madi McLellan (Fremont, N.H.) shut the door, getting Katy Rimawi (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) to fly out to left and Lindsey Decker (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) to foul out to first base to send the ballgame to extra innings.

Both teams threatened the eighth inning, but neither team got a run across until the top of the ninth. With Rossillo placed on second base, Grimard attempted to sacrifice her over and reached first base safely on a base hit, but the throw from the Sage catcher eluded the first baseman, going all the way to the rightfield fence. Rossillo scored with ease and Grimard advanced to third, but when the rightfielder's throw missed the cutoff, Grimard trotted home to put the Pride ahead 8-6. Hart was able to retire the next two Regis batters, but the Pride would load the bases with two outs on a single, error, and a walk. Andreoli picked up a clutch base hit to right centerfield, scoring Nejaime and Allie Petillo (West Sayville, N.Y.) for some insurance, putting the Pride ahead 10-6. McLellan put the Gators down 1-2-3 in the ninth to secure the Pride's second win of the season. 

Hart got the loss for Sage on the day, going the distance and allowing seven earned on eight hits to move to 1-2 on the year. McLellan grabbed the win, allowing three earned over six innings in relief while striking out seven Gators. Rossillo finished with a no decision, allowing three earned runs and striking out two over three innings in her first collegiate start.

Agate, Duncan, and sophomore Amanda Kiriakos (Yonkers, N.Y.) all picked up three hits for the Gators in the losing effort, while Grimard's three hits led the Pride. Rossillo and Andreoli each finished the afternoon with three RBIs for Regis as well.

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