Newport News, VA:  The Ramapo College softball team lost a tough 8-6 game to Randolph-Macon College today in nine innings in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.
 
The #2 Roadrunners (28-13-1) fall into the loser's bracket and will tack on the loser of #1 Christopher Newport and #4 Salem College tomorrow at 2pm. The #3 Yellow Jackets advance to play the winner of #1 Christopher Newport and #4 Salem College tomorrow at noon.
 
The two teams combined to pound out 25 hits and score 14 total runs in the first game of the day that stretched into nine innings. The Yellow Jackets improved to 27-10 with their first ever NCAA Tournament win.
 
The Roadrunners, who entered the NCAA Tournament ranked #23 in the NFCA Top 25, struck first in the game with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs Grace Brennan drew a walk before Nicole Hernandez put down a sac bunt that was thrown away by the Yellow Jacket defense allowing Brennan to move to third. During the next at bat Brennan scored on a wild pitch while Hernandez moved up to third before Jaclyn Lima took the fifth pitch she saw and laced it up the middle to drive home Hernandez with an RBI single 2-0.
 
Randolph-Macon tied the game in the top of the third with a two-run home run. In the fourth inning the Yellow Jackets added three runs on four hits, taking a 5-2 lead.
 
In the fifth inning, pinch hitter Olivia D'Amato came up big with a single down the left field line allowing Danielle Saporito to come home 3-5. The Roadrunners scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead. Brennan led off with a single before Lima put down a bunt that was misplayed allowing both runner's to move up to third and second. Saporito then ripped a single as Brennan and Lima scored while Saporito moved up to third on a throwing error by the Yellow Jackets to tie the game 5-5. Kim LaPenta then put down a squeeze bunt as Saporito slide in under the tag for a 6-5 lead in favor for the Roadrunners.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with one out. The Roadrunners got a ground ball to third and got the out at home and tried to turn a double play getting the batter out at first base. The throw looked to be on time for the game-ending double play but the runner was called safe. Madison Gilman, who was on second base, was able to race home and score to tie the game 6-6.
 
The Roadrunners had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh but could not score sending the game into extra innings. Both teams had chances to score in the eighth inning but were held scoreless until Randolph Macon pushed two runs across in the top of the ninth with two outs to take an 8-6 lead.
 
Ramapo got the leadoff runner on in the ninth but the Yellow Jackets turned a game-ending double play to preserve their first NCAA win in program history.
 
Ramapo starting pitcher Katrina Buczkowski earned a no-decision in the game. She worked the first 3.2 innings, striking out four, walking none while surrendering nine hits and five runs. Christina Brizek (8-6) took the tough loss. She went the final 5.1 innings, striking out two and walking one. She surrendered six hits and three runs (two earned).
 
Ramapo recorded ten hits in the game. Saporito was 3-5 with two runs scored and two RBI while Nicole Mahoney and Jaclyn Lima went 2-4.
 
All nine batters for the Yellow Jackets recorded a hit in the game while Amanda Sopko finished 3-5 with two runs scored and one RBI