No. 17 Softball Takes Two From Southern New Hampshire, 2-1, 4-0
Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (March 27, 2010) – A walkoff win in the bottom of the seventh in game one, followed by a career-high 11 strikeouts from sophomore Hayley Bettles (Surrey, British Columbia) in game two, propelled the 17th-ranked C.W. Post softball team to a sweep of Southern New Hampshire, 2-1 and 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Pioneers improve to 13-5 overall while SNHU slips to 8-6.
The first game was a low-scoring affair as the Penmen scratched out a run in the third against Pioneer starter Christina Berardi (Raynham, Mass.), as Cristy Jenkins (Hudson, Mass.) and Kelsea Cheney (Abington, Mass.) hit back-to-back doubles for a 1-0 leadd. However, Cheney was thrown out at the plate by Pioneer right fielder Katie Fisher (Barto, Pa.) trying to score on a single for the third out of the inning.
The Pioneers tied the game in the sixth as pinch hitter Kim Kessel (Glen Cove, N.Y.) singled to lead off the inning. A wild pitch, a bunt single, and a sacrifice fly by sophomore Kerry Fisher (Barto, Pa.) would score the run and send the game into the decisive seventh inning.
Kendall Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) doubled to left center on the first pitch she saw, and Katie Fisher followed with a single to right field. Bright held up rounding third, but the Penmen right fielder overthrew the ball to third base and allowed Bright to score the winning run.
Junior Sarah Kiser (Arnold, Md.) earned the win in relief of Berardi, who went 6.1 innings and scattered 10 hits with two walks, while striking out four. Kiser threw two-thirds on an inning and struck out one batter.
Freshman Rogin Hardy (Kirkland, Wash.) had two hits to lead the Pioneers at the plate.
Game two saw Bettles work out of jams in the first and second inning to keep the Penmen off the board, and the Pioneers broke out for four runs in the fourth inning as Christie Softy (Floral Park, N.Y.) led off with a walk, and advanced to third on Bright's double to left center. After Katie Fisher was hit by a pitch, Nicole Capella (Shirley, N.Y.) came through with a double to center field, scoring two runs. Katie Fisher scored the third run of the inning on a passed ball, and freshman Kaci Hopkins (New Egypt, N.J.) hit an infield single that plated another run, making it 4-0 in favor of the Pioneers.
Bettles went all seven innings scattering seven hits in the shutout, striking out 11 while issuing only one walk.
Senior Melissa Medina (Levittown, N.Y.) and Capella each had two hits in the game for C.W. Post.
The Pioneers remain at home tomorrow, as they host a noon doubleheader against UMass-Lowell.