EASTON, Pa. (April 20, 2022) - Trailing 3-0 into the seventh inning of game one, the Saint Peter's University softball team scored 10 runs in the final two frames to pick up a 10-3 win in eight innings before falling in game two 12-5 Wednesday afternoon against Lafayette University at Lafayette Softball Field.
Scores: Saint Peter's 10, Lafayette 3 | Lafayette 12, Saint Peter's 5
Records: Saint Peter's (15-22) | Lafayette (7-29)
Pitchers (G1): W: Sydney Senerchia (3-4) L: Morrigan GardinerÂ
Pitchers (G2): W: Kailee Sawai (2-3) L: Kristen Brennan (1-6) S: Jacqueline Cal (1)
Top Performers
- Dakota Pitts was a menace at the plate as she became just the 10th player in Division I this season to record five hits in a single game. Overall, she finished 6 for 8 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Brandi Feeney and Sophie Wilson both had multi-hit efforts in game one combining to go 4 for 8 with two runs scored.
- Senerchia picked up the win in the circle after allowing just three runs over 8.0 innings in a complete-game effort while striking out three.
- Courtney Fraher came off the bench cold in the first contest and had possibly the biggest hit of the day with an RBI single to give SPU their first lead in the eighth inning.
- Olyvia Smith had a multi-hit effort in game two going 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored.
How it Happened (Game One)
- The Leopards took the lead with single runs in the first, second and third innings, but could not tack on more than one in any single inning as Senerchia stranded three runners on base through the first three frames.
- The score remained 3-0 in favor of Lafayette until the top of the seventh when the Peacock bats woke up.
- Pitts, Feeney and Wilson led the inning off with three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out.
- Samantha Miller drove in the first run of the game for SPU with an RBI single to left field to cut the deficit to two.
- With nobody out, Anja Solveig Kane brought home another with a bases loaded walk.
- Two batters later, the Peacocks found themselves down to their final out but were able to tie things up when Miller raced home on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Katie Sciglimpaglia.
- In the eighth, SPU broke the game open with a seven-run outburst in the frame.
- Pitts led the inning off with a single and moved to third on a double into the gap from Feeney to put a pair in scoring position with nobody out.
- Fraher joined in on the action one batter later when she laced a two-RBI single to left to give the Peacocks their first lead of the game.
- After Solveig Kane walked and Aubrey Ketcham reached on a bunt single, Smith made the score 6-3 with an RBI groundout and two more came home on an error to swell the lead to five.
- With two outs, Cara McNulty got in on the action with an RBI triple down the right field line and Pitts picked up her fifth hit of the game on an RBI single through the right side to push the Peacock lead to 10-3.
- Senerchia would come back out to close things out and seal the victory for SPU.
How it Happened (Game Two)
- Lafayette again jumped out to an early lead with a two-run second inning on a home run and a double.
- The Peacocks answered with a pair of runs of their own using speed to put pressure on the defense.
- After Ketcham led the inning off with a walk, Smith reached safely on a bunt single and the duo immediately swiped third and second, respectively. On the steal attempt, the throw sailed into left field allowing Ketcham to score and put SPU on the board.
- Sciglimpaglia then drove home Smith on an RBI single through the left side to tie the score at 2-2.
- The Leopards re-took the lead in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single up the middle.
- In the fourth, the Peacocks were able to take advantage of a couple of Lafayette mistakes, tying the contest on back-to-back fielding errors.
- Lafayette took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth with a four-run outburst highlighted by three RBI singles and a steal of home.
- SPU brought the deficit back within two when McNulty brought home Ketcham on a sacrifice fly and Pitts laced a single up the middle to score Smith and make the score 7-5.
- In the bottom of the fifth, an RBI triple brought home another run for the Leopards to push the lead back to three.
- After the Peacocks were unable to score a run with two runners in scoring position in the sixth, the Leopards pushed the lead to seven on a bases loaded walk and a pair of RBI singles before the game was called final at 12-5 due to darkness.
Inside the Numbers
- The five hits for Pitts sets a new program record for hits in a game. With her stellar day at the plate, the freshman is now hitting .311 with a team-high nine doubles this season.
- The Peacocks pounded out 14 hits in game one, the most they have had this season and the most for SPU since racking up 17 hits in the 12-5 win over Quinnipiac on April 18, 2021.
- The game one victory was a true team effort as seven different players recorded at least one RBI, eight different players had a hit and nine different players reached base safely.
- Smith's speed was on display in game two as she swiped three bases to give her seven steals this season.
- With three more strikeouts, Senerchia is now just nine away from becoming just the seventh player in program history to reach 200 punchouts in a career.
- The triple in game one extended McNulty's hitting streak to seven games before she failed to record a hit in game two to end the run.
From the Dugout (Head Coach Chris Stelma)
- "The girls fought hard and came back in game one. A lot of heart in that win. We really struggled in game two. That was a series we needed to win. Hopefully we can learn from both the comeback in Game 1 and the letdown in Game 2 and come out firing for MAAC play this weekend."
Next Up
- The Peacocks kick off a string of eight consecutive home games this Saturday when they welcome Rider University to Joseph J. Jaroschak Field for a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m.
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