NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - For the second consecutive day, the Regis (Mass.) softball team earned a split of a double header at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. The Pride opened the day by falling to Wesley College 9-1 in five innings, before defeating Cazenovia College 7-2 in game two. With the split, the Pride moves to 2-5 on the season.
In the first game of the day, the Pride dropped a 9-1 decision in five innings to the Wolverines of Wesley College. The Wolverine bats were on fire from the very first inning, as the team dropped a three-spot on the Pride in the bottom of the first. The first run of the game came on a two-out double from freshman Karina Cardona (Cooper City, Fla.), driving in senior Devin Mackay (Bangor, Pa.) all the way from first and giving Wesley a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Lindsay Siok (Milford, Del.) smacked a two-run single to run the Wesley lead to 3-0.
The Wolverines added another in the second inning, running the lead to 4-0, which was the score when senior catcher Rachel Tortora (Malden, Mass.) stepped to the plate in the top of the fourth when the Pride loaded the bases with just one away in the inning. Tortora hit a rocket to third base, where Wesley got the force out, before Tortora hustled down the line and beat the throw, driving in junior Alexa Nejaime (Sandisfield, Mass.) from third for the Pride's first run of the morning.
The Pride's momentum was short-lived, as the Wolverines tacked on three more in the bottom of the frame. The biggest blow of the inning came on a two-out, two-run triple by senior Nina Marcano (Townsend, Del.) that ran the score to 7-1 after four innings. The Wolverines clinched the victory on a two-run single past a diving Brianna Napoleone (Medford, Mass.) up the middle in the bottom of the fifth by sophomore Ashley Royer (Lititz, Pa.).
Pride sophomore pitcher Lisa Lusardi (Enfield, Conn.) was credited with the loss after allowing four earned runs on six hits in 1.1 innings before getting knocked out of the game after taking a line drive off the shin. In relief, freshman Crystal Daly threw 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and no earned runs on the morning. Wesley's Siok threw a complete game, allowing six hits and no earned runs while striking out three to earn her fifth win of the season.
The second game of the day saw the Pride pick up a much-needed win, with a number of players snapping out of slumps, in a win over Cazenovia (2-6).
Freshman pitcher Madi McLellan (Fremont, N.H.) was dealing in the early stages of the game, holding the Wildcats scoreless in the game's first four innings. The rookie got a major boost in the bottom of the first, when right fielder Kelsey Grimard (Pelham, N.H.) gunned down a runner at the plate to end the frame. The outfield assist was Grimard's second of the day, as she previously gunned down a runner at the plate against Wesley as well.
After Cazenovia put runners on second and third with nobody out in the second inning, McLellan escaped unscathed thanks to a pair of pop-outs to catcher Nejaime and a groundout to second base. McLellan allowed a leadoff double in the third as well, but again left her stranded by retiring the next three batters. In the fourth, the freshman made sure she wouldn't have to work through a jam, as McLellan struck out the side in order to keep the score at 0-0.
After Grimard and junior Amanda Navarro (Stoneham, Mass.) reached on base hits to open the fifth inning, senior Allison Caloggero (Medford, Mass.) tripled to the fence in left center field, driving in the first two runs of the game. The very next batter, freshman Ellery Rasmussen (Kingston, N.H.), liked what she saw from Caloggero and decided to reproduce the feat, roping a triple of her own to right and running the Pride lead to three.
Three batters later, Rasmussen's classmate Gabrielle Cammarata (Revere, Mass.) poked a triple of her own down the right field line, scoring senior Kelsey Morton (South Portland, Maine) and sophomore Allie Petillo (West Sayville, N.Y.). Cammarata would score the Pride's sixth run on the next play, as Brianna Napoleone (Medford, Mass.) reached on an error by the first baseman.
The Wildcats got two back in the bottom of the inning ending McLellan's shutout, but the big inning was more than enough for the right-hander to pick up her first collegiate victory. Napoleone would drive in one more insurance run in the top of the seventh with a blooper down the right field line to secure the Pride's 7-2 win.
McLellan threw a complete game allowing just the two earned runs on 10 hits and striking out seven. Cazenovia starter Samantha Washburn (Lee Center, N.Y.) was dueling with McLellan in the beginning, throwing four shutout innings allowing just six hits. Washburn was relieved by sophomore Jessica Keller (East Northport, N.Y.), who allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in three innings of relief.
Offensively, the Pride was led by Caloggero and Rasmussen, who both went 3-for-4 in the victory. Grimard and Navarro also had multi-hit games for the Pride, each adding a pair of singles.
Next up for the Pride, they will conclude their 2017 Spring Break trip with a game against Wilkes on Friday morning. First pitch from South Carolina is slated for 11:30 a.m.
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