Newport News, VA: The #1 Christopher Newport University softball team held off a comeback from #2 Ramapo College for a 7-4 win. The Captains, who are ranked #3 in the NFCA Top 25 Poll, improve to 32-5 overall while the Roadrunners now stand at 32-11.
The Captains scored four runs in the first and three runs in three runs in the third to push their lead, 7-0. In the first, Candace Slaw took the first pitch of the game over the right-center field fence for a solo home run before Jules Donnelly knocked in the second run with a two-out RBI single. Two more runs came home on a two-RBI single by Malaeh Maharty, 4-0. In the third, one run came in on a Ramapo error before another came in on a sac bunt RBI and the final run of the inning came in when Maharty plated Caroline Pollock with a sac fly, 7-0.
The Roadrunners came back with four runs in their final two at bats and had two runners on in the top of the seventh before CNU recorded the final out. In the sixth,
Avery Bartolomeo ripped a single to center field before
Alexis Corra hit her second two-run home run of the tournament and her 8th of the season to put Ramapo on the board. In the top of the seventh, Bella Otero led off with her 5
th home run of the season, a solo shot to score the team's third run of the game.
Kori Gargiulo ripped a double down the right field line and moved up one base on
Lia Milsom's sac bunt.
Katie Rygiel plated Gargiulo with a hard hit single to the left field wall, cutting the CNU lead to just three.
Avery Kontura worked a walk to put two runners on before an infield groundout moved them up one base.
Mahogany Wheeler then stepped to the plate and took the third pitch she saw down the right field line as the CNU right fielder made a diving catch for the final out of the game.
The Roadrunners move to game five of the tournament scheduled for 4:00pm this afternoon and will take on the winner of #3 seeded Pfeiffer University and #4 seeded John Jay College. The Captains advance to the NCAA Regional Championship game scheduled for Saturday at 11:00am.
The Roadrunners out hit the Captains with nine hits in the game while they were led by Gargiulo who finished 2-3 with one run scored. Ramapo starting pitcher
Marissa DiPaolo (13-5) suffered the loss in the circle. She struck out two and surrendered eight hits and seven runs (five earned).
For the Captains, Jamie Martin (12-1) pitched a complete game with one strikeout and one walk while she let up nine hits, including two home runs and four earned runs.
