Kissimmee, FL: The Ramapo College softball team split a pair of games today at the SunKissed Games. The Roadrunners came back to defeat Washington St. Louis (MO) 5-2 while New York University defeated the Roadrunners 5-4. The Roadrunners now stand at 4-2 overall.
Game 1:
Ramapo scored early taking a 1-0 lead after the bottom of the first.
Krista Verrino walked before
Ally Spellman laced a double to deep center field allowing Verrino to score from first base.
In the fourth inning, WashU put two runs on the board to take a 2-1 lead – all without recording a hit. An error brought home one run and an infield groundout scored another. Ramapo took the lead for good in the fourth inning.
Jackie Howarth hit her third home run of the season, a three-run shot over the left field fence to take a 4-2 lead as Carly Vadinski and
Sisi Machinski scored.
Harper Patsko then ripped a double to the right-center field gap plating Verinno who walked for a 5-2 lead.
Ramapo starting pitcher
Erin Fitzsimmons and reliever
Christina Brizek teamed up for a combined no-hitter. Fitzsimmons worked the first 3.2 innings; she struck out one, walked one and surrendered two runs (both unearned). Brizek worked the final 3.1 innings of action and did not give up a hit while she only walked one.
Howarth led the team at the plate with a 2-4 day and three RBI and one run scored while Patsko finished 2-4 with one RBI.
Game 2:
NYU took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Diana King doubled and then came around from second base on a wild pitch. The ball bounced off the backstop and shot back into the infield allowing her to race home and touch home plate. The Roadrunners tied the game in the top of the second inning when starting pitcher Brizek cracked her first home run of the year over the left field fence. Brizek helped her own cause again in the fourth inning when she once again led off with a home run for a 2-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, Ramapo extended their lead to 4-1.
Shannon Cox laced a double to left field plating Patsko who walked earlier in the inning while Cox advanced to third on the throw. Cox then scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 lead. In the bottom half of the fifth inning, NYU came back to take a 5-4 lead when M Tindall cracked a grand slam over the left field fence.
Ramapo would put on the game-tying and winning runs in the sixth and seventh innings but the NYU defense was able to get out of both jams to preserve the one run victory. Brizek (2-1) struck out four, walked four and surrendered seven hits over 4.2 innings of work.
Katrina Buczkowski worked the final 1.1 innings, striking out two and letting up only one hit.
The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow afternoon when they take on Arcadia University at 1:15pm and Wheaton College (MA) at 3:45pm at the SunKissed Games.
