Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – UMass Dartmouth avoided the sweep in the second game, swinging the momentum to win the game in extras after dropping game one on a walk-off. The Corsairs improve to 22-11 and 5-3 in the Little East, while the Anchorwomen go to 12-14 and 3-5 in the conference.
Rhode Island College 4, Corsairs 3
Runs were at a premium until the late stages of the contest in game one. Neither offense could string together consecutive hits, before a walk-off double with two outs captured the victory for the Anchorwomen.
UMass Dartmouth crossed the plate first in the top half of the fourth, when sophomore pitcher Hannah Smith (Attleboro, Mass.) helped herself with a single to left field in just her second at-bat of the season to put the Corsairs up 1-0.
Rhode Island College would eventually tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning as junior Lauren Duvall (East Greenwich, R.I.) scored on a single to left field by sophomore Chelsea Schott (Meriden, Conn.), who was thrown out at second when trying to advance.
The Corsairs would regain the lead in the top of the seventh when junior Marissa Spinuzzi (Fair Lawn, N.J.) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring sophomore Emily Colton (Kingston, Mass.) from third. UMass Dartmouth added on another run when freshman Jill Miller (Freetown, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch to give UMass Dartmouth a 3-1 advantage.
The last chance for RIC arose in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and bases loaded, freshman Kelsey Burgess (North Providence, R.I.) sent a base-clearing, walk-off double to right field to secure the game for the Anchorwomen.
Smith had a solid performance in the circle for the Corsairs. The sophomore went 6.2 innings, scattering six hits, while striking out nine. She collected two 1-2-3 innings while retiring seven straight batters for one stretch, but fell to 11-6 on the campaign. Smith's counterpart, senior Katelyn McCaughey (Warwick, R.I.) went the complete game, striking out four and yielding seven hits.
Corsairs 4, Rhode Island College 2 – 8 Innings
UMass Dartmouth gave Rhode Island College a taste of their own medicine with their own late game heroics in game two.
Once again the Corsairs jumped out to the early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, when sophomore Rebecca Field (Brentwood, N.H.) found the right center field gap and sprinted out two bases, scoring freshman Briana Flaherty (Franklin, Mass.).
The Anchorwomen took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a single to third base by sophomore Nicole Venturini (North Scituate, R.I.), tying the contest. The next batter, junior Lauren Duvall (East Greenwich, R.I) reached on an error, and scored Venturini from first to take the lead.
The Corsairs would then send the game to extra innings when Spinuzzi scored on a sacrifice fly to right field from Flaherty in the top of the seventh. UMass Dartmouth pitcher Orton then forced a fly-out and got back-to-back looking strikeouts to end the regulation game in RIC's at-bat.
In the eighth inning the Corsairs would put up two runs right away. UMass Dartmouth would take the lead a wild pitch, and added an insurance run on a triple to center field off the bat of Miller. The runs were enough as the defense, including a runner caught stealing by catcher Gracie Trudeau (Dartmouth, Mass.), held strong in the bottom the frame.
Orton pitched all eight innings for the Corsairs to pick up her 10th victory of the season. She struck out eight batters while scattering four hits. Her opposition, freshman Briana Gough (West Warwick, R.I.) went the distance as well, but allowed four runs while fanning one.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action when they host LEC leader Keene State for a Little East Conference doubleheader on Saturday for Senior Day. Game one kicks off at 1 p.m.
