Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WORCESTER, Mass. – Head Softball Coach
Melissa Finley saw her squad earn a doubleheader split with Holy Cross on Saturday. The Raiders posted a 2-0 shutout win before falling in extra innings 6-5 in the nightcap.
In the opening game,
Eileen Ornousky gave the Raiders the early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after she went long for the third time in the past four games. Her hit scored Fleming, who had singled earlier in the inning.
Sophomore pitcher
Brigit Ieuter then took over on the defensive end, retiring the first 14 Holy Cross batters in order to hold a perfect game through 4 and 2/3 innings. She finished the game allowing just three hits, while posting four strikeouts to secure her seventh victory of the year.
The Raiders jumped out to a 4-0 edge after the second inning of game two but saw the Crusaders cut into their lead in the bottom half. Holy Cross made it a one-run game in the third before the teams exchanged runs in the fourth to make it a 5-4 Raider advantage. The Crusaders notched the tying run in the bottom of the sixth to send the game into extra innings. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Holy Cross tallied the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth to steal the come-from-behind victory.
Colgate (12-30, 4-12 PL) was lead by Ornousky and
Haley Fleming, who both recorded home runs on the day. Ornousky reeled in three RBIs, while Fleming accounted for two runs, two RBIs, and two walks.
Katie Bushee and
Tera Vaughn also registered three hits and two runs, with rookie
Gillian Murray going four-for-six on the day.
Holy Cross (12-25, 7-10 PL) was led by Colleen Ahern, who posted three hits and an RBI during her seven plate appearances. Sarah Kane also registered two hits, a run and an RBI during her five at bats.
With one out in the first inning of
game one, Fleming found the gap singling through the left side to get a runner on board. The Crusaders were able to notch the second out of the inning but Ornousky's two-run shot to left center cleared the bases and gave the Raiders early edge.
From that point on Ieuter's strong performance in the circle lifted her to a perfect game through 4 and 2/3 innings. She allowed her first hit of the afternoon with two outs in the bottom of the fifth but was able to force the Crusaders into a ground out on the next at bat to get herself out of the inning.
Then again in the bottom of the sixth, Holy Cross found itself with two runners in scoring position with two outs. But Ieuter would not falter as she got the Crusaders to foul out to end the inning.
The Raiders secured their win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to give them their fourth league victory of the year.
Gennifer Durham pitched a complete game for the Crusaders, allowing five hits and two runs.
Colgate again jumped out to the early lead in
game two as Bushee lead off with a single. After Holy Cross recorded the first out of the inning, Bushee stole second before Vaughn brought her home with a single up the middle. The Raiders weren't done in the inning, however, as Vaughn reached home after an Ornousky single to lift Colgate to the 2-0 edge.
The Raiders increased their lead to 4-0 after Fleming went long in the bottom of the second to score Bushee, who doubled to left center in the previous at bat.
Holy Cross cut into the Raider advantage in the bottom half of the inning and in the third to make it a 4-3 Raider lead.
Colgate added a run in the fourth after back-to-back doubles from Vaughn and
Mariel Schlaefer to increase its advantage to 5-3.
But single runs from the Crusaders in the fourth and sixth made it a 5-5 ballgame.
Neither team recorded the game-winning run in the seventh, forcing extra innings.
Despite getting a leadoff single from Bushee in the top of the eighth, the Raiders were unable to register the go-ahead run.
The Crusaders notched the winning tally in the bottom half of the inning to steal the come-from-behind win.
These two teams are back in action Sunday for the final game of this three-game series. The game is scheduled for a noon first pitch.
