Briarcliff, N.Y. - The Holy Family University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Pace University by identical 4-3 scores on Wednesday afternoon at Pace Field. Pace took the opener, while the Tigers came away with the victory in game two.
Holy Family is now 15-12 overall, while Pace pushes its record to 20-14 overall.
Game One: Pace 4, Holy Family 3 Holy Family fell behind 3-0 early on in game one after the Setters scored two runs in the first and one in the second. Sophomore Nikole Larm connected with a two-run single in the first, while sophomore Shelby Yung drove in a run in the second with a sacrifice fly.
Holy Family jumped on the scoreboard in the third inning when freshman
Jenna Vasquez (Newark, Del./Caravel Academy) came through with a two-out single driving in fellow freshman
Alyssa Cudeyro (Sicklerville, N.J./Washington Twp.) to back the score 3-1.
Pace tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Larm drove in her third run of the game with a two-out single to increase the lead to 4-1. Larm finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI.
The Setters' run in the fifth came in handy as the Tigers threatened in the their half of the seventh. Freshman
Koreen Orozco (Whittier, Calif./St. Paul) entered the inning as a pinch-hitter and drew a lead off walk. Sophomore
Brianna Scotto (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) followed with a two-run home run to left field to cut the Settars' lead to 4-3. The home run marked Scotto's second of the season.
Redshirt junior Caitlin McCann then enter the game for the Setters in relief of sophomore Kaitlynn Nelson. McCann retired the first batter she faced before giving up a single to Cudeyro. However, McCann and the Setters were able to close out the game with a ground ball double play to end the game.
Nelson (7-5) went six-plus innings to earn her seventh victory of the season for Pace. She allowed three runs on five hits and struck out a pair of batters. McCann picked up her second save of the season in one inning of relief work.
Sophomore
Bailey Walters (Ridgecrest, Calif./Burroughs) got the start for the Tigers and went the distance. In six innings, Walters allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits. Walters is now 6-6 on the season.
Cudeyro and Vasquez each went 2-for-3 from the Tigers.
Game Two: Holy Family 4, Pace 3 In game two, Vasquez drove in the game winning run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Tigers a 4-3 victory. Cudeyro led the inning off with a single through the left side and then advanced to second after junior
Alexis Daubert (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) dropped down a sacrifice bunt.
Vasquez then followed with a single to right field scoring Cudeyro to give the Tigers the lead. Freshman
Jennifer Trapp (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County) continued the inning with a single to center field and then Walters loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch.
With the bases loaded, senior
Sarah Chilutti (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) ripped a liner right up the middle, but Nelson snagged the liner and quickly turned to double off Vasquez at third to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Chilutti retired the first two batters of the inning before allowing a walk to Yung. Chilutti quickly recovered and forced freshman Larissa Labs to ground out to third base to close out the game.
Chilutti (1-1) earned her first win of the season after working a career-high eight innings. She allowed three runs (two earned) and scattered five hits. She also struck out four batters.
Holy Family tied the game (2-2) in the sixth inning when senior
Kristy Tomlinson (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin Towne Charter) drove in junior
Kristine Casey (Newark, Del./Caravel) with a sacrifice fly. The Tigers then grabbed the lead in the seventh after Walters homered to left field to take a 3-2 advantage. The solo shot was Walters' team-leading fifth long ball of the season.
Pace went on to tie the game in the bottom of the inning thanks to a run scoring single by senior Hana Wright to force extra innings.
Holy Family collected a season-high 16 hits. Daubert went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Trapp finished 3-for-5 with a run. Casey (2-4), Cudeyro (2-4), Tomlinson (2-3) and Walters (2-3) each had a pair of hits in the game.
Holy Family is back in action on Saturday, April 25 as the Tigers host Felician College in the final Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader of the season. Game one is slated for 12 p.m. at Helen Randle Park in Newtown, Pa.
- HFU -
