ITHACA, N.Y. – After the Lancers fell to Moravian College in Friday's game, the Mount Saint Mary Knights edged the Worcester State 3-2 to eliminate the Lancers in the NCAA Division III Regional softball tournament on Saturday (May 14) at Kostrinsky Field.
After 1-2-3 innings from each team in the first, Worcester State's Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.) registered the Lancers first hit of the game as she started the second inning out with a double to left field. She advanced to third, but was unable to score the run as two more putouts retired the inning.
After another 1-2-3 inning by Worcester's defense, Worcester State reached the scoreboard first in the top of the third when freshman Haley Scola (Worcester, Mass.) hit her first collegiate home run over the left field fence to put the Lancers ahead 1-0.
Worcester's pitcher, Kayla Humphrey (Wallingford, Conn.) did not allow the Knights a hit until the bottom of the third when Nicolette Moustouka (Seaford, N.Y.) hit an RBI double to left center, scoring Breanna DePasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) at the plate. Shannon Sommer (Brewster, N.Y.) came up next with a single through the left side to put the runners at the corners, but a Knight bunt and a fly out got the Lancers out of the inning.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Lancers pulled ahead of the Knights with one run in the top of the 5th when senior shortstop, Hayley Terry (N. Dighton, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to score Scola at the plate.
The Knights battled back in the bottom of the fifth when they scored two runs on one hit to take the 3-2 lead. Three runners reached base on balls, from where Chelsea Dexter (Beacon, N.Y.) came through with two outs on the board and hit a 2-RBI single to right field, plating Sabrina Gordek (Levittown, N.Y.) and Sommer for the gain. Meghan Rich (Chelmsford, Mass.) came in relief in the circle for the Lancers and closed the inning out as Mount Saint Mary's next batter flew out to third base.
Mount Saint Mary's closed the game out with two 1-2-3 innings in the top of the 6th and 7th to seal the 3-2 edge over the Lancers. The Lancers conclude their 2016 campaign with a 26-20-1 record, while the Knights improve 23-11 and play Moravian College in the next game of the NCAA Division III Regional.
"We had a great group of girls this year and they really worked hard to get to where we were," commented head coach Michelle Cote. "The seniors made a big impact on the team this year, and they truly will be a loss to the program."
Worcester's Scola and Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.) led the Lancers offensively, both going 2-for-3 while Courtney Salisbury (Cranston, RI) and Smith-Porter recorded the other two hits. The Knights' five hits were dispersed between five different hitters.
Victoria Goldbach (Middle Village, N.Y.) started in the circle for the Knights and pitched 4.1 innings. Cindy Connoly (Walden, N.Y.) relieved her in the fifth to mark the win as she pitched for 2.2, allowing one hit and striking out three. Worcester's Humphrey registered the loss, pitching for 4.2 innings and allowing three runs on three hits.
All-Tournament Team - Haley Scola