Kissimmee, FL: The Ramapo College softball team split a pair of games this morning at the SunKissed Games to move their record to 7-3 overall. The Roadrunners who are ranked #15 in the latest NFCA Top 25 Poll defeated #19 Ithaca College 9-3 before they fell to Eastern Connecticut State University 7-5.
Game 1:
Senior
Christina Brizek collected six of the seven RBI in the game while she earned the win in the circle in relief. The Roadrunners scored three runs in the top of the first inning.
Jackie Howarth led off the inning being hit by a pitch,
Krista Verrino walked and Brizek laced a double into left field allowing both runners to score to take a 2-0 lead. With two outs,
Carli Egan lined a single into center field plating Brizek for a 3-0 score.
Ithaca got one run back in the bottom half of the inning when Brown recorded an RBI with an infield single allowing Laccona to score, 3-1. Brizek hit her third home run of the season, a grand slam, in the second inning as the Roadrunners went up 6-3.
Sisi Machinski walked before Howarth and Verrino were both hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brizek stepped to the plate and was down 0-2 before she launched the ball over the left-center field fence extending the Ramapo lead 7-1.
The Bombers added single runs in the second and third innings for a 7-3 score before Ramapo tacked on two more runs in the stop of the seventh.
Nicole Hernandez singled with two outs before she stole second base and was lifted for pinch runner
Carly Vadinsky. Machinski was hit by a pitch before Howarth beat out an infield single to load the bases for Verrino. Verrino worked a six-pitch walk to force home Vadinsky before Brizek reached on an error from the pitcher as Machinski scored, unearned for the 9-3 lead.
Brizek came into the game to pitch to start the fourth inning in relief of
Erin Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons struck out three, walked three and scattered six hits over the first three innings. Brizek (4-1) struck out one, and only gave up one hit in the final four innings of action. Brizek finished 2-5 with six RBI and two runs scored while Howarth and Hernandez finished 2-3 at the plate.
Game 2:
Eastern Connecticut State University scored one run in the top of the first inning when Sara Pisanelli smacked a home run over the left field fence taking a quick 1-0 lead. Ramapo tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Verrino laced a triple into the right-center field gap before she came home on Egan's infield ground out 1-1.
Ramapo took a 2-1 lead in the third inning when
Ally Spellman ripped a double into left field allowing
Jackie Howarth to score from second base. Howarth led off the inning with a single down the left field line. The Roadrunners added two runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Harper Patsko and pinch hitter
Kendra Decker hit back-to-back singles before Machinski laced a single into center field to load the bases before Howarth was hit by a pitch to force home Patsko. Verrino then picked up a RBI groundout allowing Decker to score for Ramapo's two runs of the inning.
In the fifth inning ECSU scored two runs to tie the game before they added four runs in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead. Ramapo got one back in the bottom of the sixth when Machinski ripped a solo homerun over the left field wall to come within two 7-5. The Roadrunners could not push another run across to extend the game as the Warriors came away with the non-conference victory.
Katrina Buczkowski started the game for Ramapo and worked the first 4.2 innings, she struck out eight, walked two and scattered five hits while she surrendered three runs. Fitzsimmons came into the game in the fifth working 1.1 innings, she surrendered four runs on five hits while she walked two suffering the loss.
Paige Merle came in for relief in the seventh facing only three batters and striking out one. Patsko finished the game 3-3 at the plate while Spellman was 3-4 with one RBI. Howarth and Machinski both finished 2-3 with one run scored and one RBI.
The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow afternoon when they take on St. Norbert College at 1:30pm and the College of Wooster at 3:45pm.
