CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Eastern Nazarene College walked away with a pair of victories over Regis College on Saturday afternoon in Cape Coral, Fla. as part of the Gene Cusic Classic. The Lions (2-0) picked up a 3-0 win in the opening game versus the Pride (0-2) and followed that up with a walk-off, 5-4 win in eight innings in the second game.
The Lions scored a run in each of the first three innings of game one en route to the 3-0 win. Olivia Tovar led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kori Sorensen. Following a walk to Carissa Cicolini, Cayla Clinkscale ripped a double into the gap in right-centerfield to plate Tovar and stake ENC to an early 1-0 lead. Eastern Nazarene added another run in the second following a throwing error by the Pride before plating the last run of the game on a Sam Losano single down the rightfield line that scored Clinkscale.
The Pride tried to get a rally started in the seventh as Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.) singled to centerfield and Shannon Bradish (Lawrence, Mass.) reached on an infield single to get two runners on with two outs. It was too little, too late as the Pride comeback ended on a groundout.
Fountain pitched well for the Pride in her first collegiate start, tossing seven innings and allowing only three runs (two earned) on nine hits, while striking out seven batters. The Pride only mustered four hits off ENC's Sorensen as Samantha Bliss (Framingham, Mass.), Alyssa McKinnon (Raynham, Mass.), Fountain, and Bradish all went 1-for-3.
Game two started out as a pitcher's duel between the Pride's Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) and ENC's Britny Costa as they combined to only give up two hits through the first four innings.
Regis finally got on the board in their half of the fifth as they loaded the bases following a single by Cuozzo, double by Bradish, and a Gen Gudiel (Lawrence, Mass.) walk. Emily Pickett (Wrentham, Mass.) picked up her first RBI of the season, reaching on a fielder's choice and reloading the bases, all while giving Regis a 1-0 lead. Samantha Bliss followed with an RBI groundout to the right side, but that is all the Pride would get in the inning.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Eastern Nazarene rallied to tie the game, taking advantage of three Pride errors during the inning to tie it at 2-2 and force extra innings.
With Michaela NeJaime (Sandisfield, Mass.) on second to start the inning, Alyssa McKinnon singled down the rightfield line, plating NeJaime and giving the Pride a 3-2 lead. Haley Fountain followed with a groundball through the right side to score McKinnon as Regis moved back on top, 4-2.
ENC took advantage of the runner on second to start the eighth inning as Kori Sorensen came around to score on a Cicolini single to shortstop. Clinkscale followed with a single down the right field line to put two runners on, and Losano knotted the game at 4-4 with a single over McKinnon's head that scored Cicolini. Jamie Block stepped to the plate and hit a single up the middle that trickled through, allowing Clinkscale to score and giving the Lions the 5-4 victory.
Katie Cuozzo went 7.1 innings, allowing nine hits, five runs (two earned), while striking out six and going 2-for-4 at the plate. Alyssa McKinnon went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Regis, while Bliss, NeJaime, Fountain and Bradish all added hits.
The Pride return to action tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. when they take on Hiram College and follow that up with an 11:00 a.m. contest versus Clark University.