Amherst, MA: The Ramapo College softball team rallied late in the game but came up short to host Amherst College in game one of the NCAA Super Regional at Amherst Softball Field. The Roadrunners and Mammoths each stand at 32-10 overall on the year.
The Mammoths scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, which turned out to be the game-winning run and they held the Roadrunners in the top of the seventh to win game one 4-3. Amherst scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning to get on the board. Annie Murphy reached base on an infield field error before Lauren Tuiskula laced a triple into the right-center field gap allowing Murphy to score to take a 1-0 lead. Sammy Salustri then poked a sac fly to right field platting Tuiskula for the Mammoths second run of the game 2-0.
Harper Patsko led off the top of the fourth inning with a hit to center field before
Nicole Mahoney was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Amherst starting pitcher Gina Pagan then sent the next three Roadrunners down in order, including two strikeouts, to end the threat and hold onto the 2-0 lead.
Amherst loaded the bases with not outs in the bottom of the fifth inning aided by one Ramapo error. Tuiskula then poked a single back up the middle plating Amherst's third run of the game to take a 3-0 lead. Ramapo catcher
Shannon Cox fired down to
Ally Spellman at second base to pick off the runner at second base for the first out of the inning. A single loaded the bases once again for Amherst with out one out and
Paige Merle, in relief for Rampo, fielded a come backer to the mound and fired home for the second out of the inning. Merle then got a foul out to Mahoney at first base to end the Amherst threat.
In the top of the sixth inning, Spellman and Patsko led off with back-to-back singles before Mahoney walked to load the bases. Pinch hitter Kristen Ruggerio produced a lengthy at-bat against Pagan and eventually hit a hard hit single back up the middle to plate Rampao's two runs to come within one 2-3. Amherst got one back in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead 4-2 when Andrea Sanders led off with a walk, moved to second on a pass ball and later scored on an infield ground out.
Ramapo would rally and bring the game-tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning.
Sisi Machinski led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a single to left field from
Jackie Howarth to put runners on the corners with not outs. Following a pitching change from Amherst, a fly ball out was recorded in short left field but the throw back into the infield was misplayed allowing Machinski to score from third to come within one 3-4. A walk to Patsko moved Howarth to second with one out before Lorena Ukanwa induced a strike out and foul out to end the Ramapo threat and preserve the 4-3 win. Ukanwa earned her third save of the season.
Pagan (21-4) recorded nine strikeouts in the game for Amherst while Ukanwa added one in her save appearance. This is only the second time all season the Roadrunners have struck out ten times in a game.
Erin Fitszimmons (14-4) scattered five hits while she surrendered three run, only one earned in four innings pitched for Ramapo. Merle let up one hit and one run in two innings of work in relief. Patsko was perfect at the plate today finishing 3-3 with one run scored while four other Roadrunners each collected one hit in the game.
The two teams return to action tomorrow afternoon at 1:00pm in game two of the NCAA Super Regional best-of-three series at Amherst Softball Field. The Super Regional format is a best of three series with the winner advancing to the 2017 NCAA Championship Tournament, which is scheduled for May 25-30 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. This is the first time Ramapo advanced to the Super Regional round since the NCAA Tournament moved to this format four years ago. The Roadrunners are making their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last three seasons and the seventh overall (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2017).
