Typically, people are remembered most for what they did last. Jordan Paolucci will gladly live with that.
Paolucci and the softball team split its doubleheader with Farleigh Dickinson, but the walkoff grand slam in extra innings for Paolucci in Game 2 is what will be most remembered.
Courtney Solt lead off the bottom of the eighth with a triple, adding to her offensively powerful day. The Knights made the decision to walk the next two Bobcat batters, Alba and Barba, to load the bases for a force at any base.
“It started two at bats before me when they started intentionally walking Alex Alba,” Paolucci said, referencing the lead up to her game-ending at bat. “When they walked her and I realized they were about to walk Nikki [Barba], I just got real pissed. Real angry. When I was walking up, getting ready for my at-bat, I was like ‘yeah, you’re gonna pay for this.’”
And pay they did as she blasted the ball over the right field fence giving her team the 4-0 victory. Hannah Lindsley pitched the entire game magnificently with only three hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
“She was outstanding,” Quinnipiac head coach Germaine Fairchild said. “I thought she was possibly as good as she’s been since day one, her first game of the year against Drexel where she threw a 1-0 shutout. Hats off to her.”
Samantha Lemm for Fairleigh Dickinson also had a strong outing. Before the grand slam, she had four hits, five walks, and six strikeouts.
In the first matchup the Bobcats put themselves in a trench very early. The five-run first inning that ensued was far too much for Quinnipiac to overcome as Fairleigh Dickinson took the first game 7-1.
“One thing we need to do, first of all, is clean up defense,” Fairchild said. “In the first game we gave up some hard hits. Every time you make those mistakes on defense that’s more hitters that are coming to the plate later in the game.”
The game began with a leadoff double from Madelaine Wilen and another double from Julia Northcutt off an error from Quinnipiac pitcher Sydney Robey overthrowing first base made it a 1-0 game. A two-run home run from Mikayla Fernandez put the score at 3-0. One walk and four singles later the game was 5-0.
Loren Stavrou, the Knights’ game one pitcher, shut down the Bobcats with five hits, two walks, five strikeouts, and no earned runs.
Fairchild, while wishing they could have won both games, felt comfortable splitting with their foe.
“This is a good split,” Fairchild said. “Fairleigh Dickinson has beaten every team in the conference they’ve played so far and I expect big things from them. We feel good getting out of here with a win.”
