“It’s our biggest weekend of the season,” said the girls of the Quinnipiac softball team of their past weekend games against Northeast Conference teams, Monmouth University and Long Island University.
Two teams that Head Coach, Germaine Fairchild, expected to give Quinnipiac a tough challenge, did just that two days in a row.
The double header, which took place against Monmouth on March 23, ended with the two teams splitting the series. Monmouth took the first game 6-5 while Quinnipiac rallied to a 4-2 win in four innings in the second game.
The first game, which finally started at 3 p.m. after being delayed three times, started off with Monmouth taking an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Quinnipiac was able to battle back and go ahead one at the bottom of the third when Jill Cimminello and Lauren Fries both scored.
The bottom of the fourth also proved fruitful for Quinnipiac when Elizabeth Moriarty hit a three run home run over the left field fence to put the team ahead 5-1. Monmouth caught up in the top of the fifth, however, making it 5-4 and they continued their scoring route in the final two innings. Pasini scored in the sixth, to tie the score at 5, off of hits from Connell, Hulme and Tammy Lascar, while it was Paula Petrocelli who scored the final and winning run of the game off of a double and single from Kim Lombardi and Pasini respectively.
Quinnipiac pitchers Courtney O’Neil and Alisha Zabel combined for 5 strikeouts on the day. O’Neil allowed only one run in her first four innings, while Zabel allowed five runs in her three innings as relief. Monmouth pitchers Kim Lyall and Kim Lombardi combined for eight strikeouts in the win.
The second game started with Quinnipiac taking the early lead. Callie Bundy’s one run home run in the bottom of the second put QU up 1-0. Monmouth, however, answered in the top of the third scoring 2 runs to put them in the lead 2-1.
Quinnipiac put themselves back on top for the final time of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Bundy, Valerie Muglia and Renee Escaravage all scored. After Monmouth was not able to catch up at the top of the fifth, the game was called due to darkness.
Quinnipiac’s pitcher, Melissa Reynolds, earned the win with five strikeouts on the day. Monmouth’s Lombardi recorded no strikeouts and earned the loss.
March 24, proved to be a day of disappointment for the softball team when they took on LIU in a double header that started at 1 p.m.
In the first game, LIU shut out Quinnipiac 8-0 using the power of the home run. Starting in the top of the fourth inning, all of LIU’s runs came from two-run home runs.
Quinnipiac had hits from Cimminello (2), Lauren Fries (2), Moriarty, Ashley Morgan, and O’Neil (2).
Quinnipiac’s O’Neil, who earned two strikeouts and allowed four runs, pitched 6 and 1/3 innings while earning the loss. Stephanie Boyer came in relief for 1 and 2/3 innings allowing four more runs while striking out none. LIU’s Crystal Eubanks pitched all seven innings in the shut out and earned seven strikeouts on the day.
Quinnipiac came close to a comeback win in the second game, however fell just short allowing LIU to sweep the series with a 4-3 win.
Quinnipiac took the early lead in the second when O’Neil scored on a sacrifice fly to put them up 1-0. LIU answered in the third with runs from Cooley and Rosette Rough to put them in the lead 2-1. They added to that lead in the fifth and sixth innings when Cooley and Margie Foster each banged out one run home runs respectively. Quinnipiac’s comeback run began in the bottom of the seventh inning when Bundy and Lidia Obara each scored runs, however it wasn’t enough to tie the score. Quinnipiac was left just one run short of a possible comeback win.
Quinnipiac pitchers Reynolds and Zabel combined for two strikeouts on the day. Reynolds allowed three runs for the loss. LIU’s Jackie Brown and Eubanks combined for three strikeouts on the day. Eubanks re-entered the game at the bottom of the sixth and earned the save for LIU.