NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Regis College softball team opened up their 2016 season and spring break trip with a 8-0, five inning setback to Penn State – Berks and a 21-8 victory against Summit University. The split pushed the Pride to 1-1 on the campaign while win kept the Nittany Lions undefeated at 4-0 and the loss dropped the Defenders to 1-3 on the year.
Game One: Penn State – Berks 8, Regis (Mass.) 0 – 5 Innings
Becca Faust got the nod on the hill for Nittany Lions and spun a gem. The freshman right hander tossed five innings of one hit ball with one strike out. She threw 43 pitches and 28 for strikes. Penn State tilled four runs in the second inning. A throwing error by Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) caused Heather Rissell to score from first base. Right after Cuozzo racked up her first strike out of the season, Kendel Reed of the Nittany Lions roped a two-RBI single to give the guests a 3-0 advantage. Chelsea Bright followed with an RBI single to the Pitcher to end the scoring binge.
That was all the offense Penn State needed as Alyssa McKinnon (Rowley, Mass.) was the only Pride batter to muster a hit off the stifling Faust. The Nittany Lions added three more runs during the top half of the third and another insurance run in the top of the fourth to take the game 5-0.
Game Two: Regis (Mass.) 21, Summit (Pa.) 8
The Pride bats awoke in their second contest of the evening after they batted around the order in the top of the seventh and added 12 runs to their one, run 9-8 lead.
Backstop Rachel Tortora (Malden, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with a double and game-best four RBI wile Allison Caloggero (Medford, Mass.) was 5-of-6 with a triple, three RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Brianna Napoleone (Medford, Mass.) had three base knocks in five at bats with two RBI, a walk and a stolen base.
The Pride scored four runs in the first frame after a Napoleone walk and a Kirbie Garvey (Littleton, Mass.) single to center field set up Caloggero for the first scoring chance of the evening. She delivered a rip up the middle for the first run. Alexa Nejaime (Sandisfield, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Garvey until Jeszy McGuire (Brimfield, Mass.) stepped to the dish for her first at bat of her career. The freshman roped a pitch into the gap for a triple, her first career collegiate hit and more importantly the third run of the inning. Rachel Tortora singled home McGuire a batter later.
Summit got two back in the bottom half of the first thanks to an error by the Regis left fielder. Two runs scored on the play to make it a 4-2 game.
Regis added an insurance run when Kelsey Grimard (Pelham, N.H.) scored on a wild pitch to give Regis a 5-2 lead. The Defenders stayed patient at the plate and took their first lead of the contest during the bottom of the second. After a hit by pitch and a walk, Alyssa Rockefeller singled down the right field line that scored Stacie Brandt. The next three runs came with two outs as Lauren Shepherd singled down the right field line, Mollie Comstock tripled to center and Allison Glennon doubled to right which turned the momentum briefly in the game.
Regis tied up the contest in the top of the fifth after Tortora grounded to second base that plated Jenna Casello (Westborough, Mass.). An inning later two consecutive triples gave the Pride back the lead. Kirbie Garvey tripled down the right field line which led to a three-bagger from Allison Caloggero that scored her teammate. An error by the Defender's left fielder sent Caloggero home and gave Regis a 9-7 lead.
A Lauren Shepherd double got Summit within one, but the Crimson & Gold's bats got hot in the final inning to give Regis the commanding win.
Lisa Lusardi (Enfield, Conn.) came on in relief of starter Jeszy McGuire and allowed two runs on six hits while striking out three in 5.1 innings.
Regis plays two tomorrow against PSU-Altoona with first pitch set for 9:30 a.m. and a contest with Medaille following the conclusion of the first game.