Ashland, VA: The #2 seeded Ramapo College softball team defeated #3 seeded St. John Fisher University, 3-2, to advance in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. The Roadrunners (33-12-1) move onto game three of the tournament tomorrow morning at 11am. The Cardinals (28-13) will play in an elimination game at 1pm.
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Amalia DeMartino recorded a leadoff double in the top of the second and moved to third on an infield ground out. With one out, Kelly Cournoyer poked a single down the left field line to plate the first run of the game to put the Cardinals up, 1-0.
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The Roadrunners scored three runs on no hits in the bottom of the third aided by three Cardinal errors to take a 3-1 lead.
Alex Hastings and
Anna Messina reached base by a hit by pitch and walk respectively before a sac bunt off the bat from
Nicole Cerasi was thrown away allowing Hastings to score to tie the game, 1-1.
Katie Rygiel then plated Cerasi from third base with a sac fly for a 2-1 lead before the relay throw home sailed wide of home plate which allowed Messina to score, 3-1.
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In the top of the fourth, the Cardinals loaded the bases with three straight singles off of Ramapo starting pitcher
Kassy Stefanski before she was lifted for reliever
Brooke Knight with no outs in the inning. Knight let up just one hit while she induced two infield pop ups and a strikeout swinging to end the threat.
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The Ramapo defense came up big in the final two innings to preserve the one run lead. In the sixth with one out,
Mahogany Wheeler caught a pop up at third base and fired to
Avery Bartolomeo at first to double off a SJFC baserunner and end the inning. In the seventh, the Cardinals got a one out single before
Katie Rygiel turned a 6-3 double play to end the inning and the game as Ramapo won, 3-2.
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Sefanski worked the first three innings of the game as she struck six, walked none and let up just five hits and two runs. Knight (2-1) struck out two in the final four frames to earn the win in relief.
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