LITTLE RIVER, S.C. – The Regis College softball team earned their second win of their spring break trip after defeating Medaille College 9-1 on Tuesday afternoon. Like yesterday, the Crimson and Gold dropped their first game of the doubleheader to a Penn State school. Penn State – Altoona shutout Regis 4-0, the second day split moves the Pride to 2-2 on the year and trip while the Nittany Lions remain undefeated at 3-0 and the loss drops the Mavericks to 3-2.
Game One: Penn State – Altoona 4, Regis (Mass.) 0
Katie Burge pitched her second complete game shutout of the Nittany Lions spring break trip as she hurled seven innings of two hit ball with seven punch outs. Catcher Alexa Nejaime (Sandisfield, Mass.) and right fielder Amanda Navarro (Stoneham, Mass.) connected for the only Pride hits off Burge as Nejaime slapped an opposite field single down the right field line and Navarro roped a double off the base of the left field fence.
The Nittany Lions tallied two runs in the bottom half of the second frame. Shannon Moore ripped a single to center field than immediately stole second base on the next pitch. A batter later, Dani Leibowitz smoked a double to left field that plated Moore for the first run of the contest. Leibowitz scored after a sacrifice bunt by Allison Simpson to make it 2-0.
Simpson added some insurance two innings later with an RBI single to center field that scored Burge who reached via a double. After a walk, Haley Giedroc was hit by a pitch that sent the fourth run of the contest home.
The Pride had their best chance to get on the board in the top half of the sixth after Navarro's double. The next batter Michaela Nejaime (Sandisfield, Mass.), sacrificed her teammate to third using a bunt. Burge danced out of danger by getting Briana Napoleone (Medford, Mass.) to pop out to third and Kirbie Garvey (Littleton, Mass.) to ground out to the pitcher that ended the Pride scoring threat.
Game Two: Regis (Mass.) 9, Medaille 1
Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) got the ball for the second contest of the day and twirled a gem. The senior hurler pitched a complete game allowing only one run while striking out six batters. First Basemen Alyssa McKinnon (Rowley, Mass.) provided all of the Pride offense with a 3-for-4 performance with a double and a team-high four RBI. Freshman Kelsey Grimard (Pelham, N.H.) drove home another run for the Crimson and Gold.
Cuozzo opened the contest on the right track after she struck out the first two batters of the game. After a single by Morgan Ziemba, the pitcher induced a pop out to second base to end the inning.
The Mustangs got their only run of the contest in the bottom half of the second frame when Kirstie Dlugosz hit an RBI double to left field that plated Lauren Kocher. Regis' defense stepped up during the double as Angelica Arredondo (Merrimac, Mass.) played the carom off the wall perfectly, hit the cutoff throw to teammate Briana Napoleone; then Napoleone rifled the ball to junior backstop Rachel Tortora (Malden, Mass.) who applied the tag to Mary Price at the plate saving the Pride a run and giving the squad a little momentum heading into the later innings.
During the top of the fourth, Allison Caloggero (Medford, Mass.) and Cuozzo reached via singles and were plated by McKinnon who ripped a single to center. McKinnon's base knock gave the Pride a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Regis added five insurance runs during the top half of the fifth frame using three Mustang errors to pull away in the contest.
Arredondo stepped up again in the bottom of the sixth as the junior outfielder crow hopped and threw a strike to Tortora who tagged out Kirstie Dulgosz at home for her second outfield assist of the afternoon.
The Pride return to action tomorrow in their final games of their trip. Regis plays in Little River at 11:30 a.m. versus SUNY Canton and at 3:30 p.m. with Cazenovia.