SOFTBALL RALLIES IN SEVENTH TO TOP MERRIMACK 8-7
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 25, 2007) - A
RBI double by junior Tara Demontier (Amesbury,
Mass.) capped a two-out, three-run rally in the bottom of the
seventh inning as American International College bested Merrimack
College 8-7 in Northeast-10 softball Wednesday afternoon at Groff
Field. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was
wiped away by rain after four innings and will be made up at a date
to be determined. AIC is now 16-23 and 8-11 in NE-10 play
while the Warriors are 15-16 and 12-9 in the league.
AIC trailed 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh after Merrimack had scored three runs of its own in the top of the frame to reclaim the lead. The Warriors would use a double play to retire the first two AIC hitters before Michelle Franey (Abington, Mass.) worked a walk. Teresa Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) would then tie the game with a home run, her third of the season. Kayla Donnelly (Pittsfield, Mass.) would reach on a single and she would come home on DeMontier's double with the game-winning run.
Tracy Vadala would drive in Merrimack's first run in the top of the seventh with a double that made it 5-5. The Warriors would plate their go-ahead runs with two outs as a double by Felicia Astorino plated both Vadala and Jill Gagnon.
Merrimack took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before the Yellow Jackets responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame, the big hit coming on a two-run triple by Kellie Brown (Gill, Mass.). The guests would plate single runs in the second and fourth to tie the score at 4, but AIC would reclaim a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Brittany Provost (Delanson, N.Y.) led off the inning with a home run.
DeMontier kept up her torrid hitting as she was 3-4 at the plate. Bonavita extended her hitting streak to 11 games with a 2-4 effort, while Donnelly also finished with a pair of hits. Provost recorded a pair of RBI. Vadala led Merrimack with three hits and three runs driven in.
Sara Swepston (Dallas, Pa.) took down the win for AIC, scattering 10 hits and striking out five in a complete game effort. Gagnon took the loss, surrendering 11 hits while fanning three.
AIC returns to action Thursday when it travels
to Southern Connecticut for a 3:00 twinbill.