Quinnipiac’s softball team (16-22) lost two games at QU Softball Field Wednesday afternoon to Army West Point (27-16) on #BeatCancer day by scores of 12-4 and 3-1.
In game one, the game was tied 3-3 heading into the fifth inning when the Bobcats collapsed defensively, committing five of their eight errors in the game and leading to an eight-run inning for Army.
Army started off the inning by getting its first three runners on to load up the bases. Sophomore Gladys Esparza-Gallegos got an infield hit to shortstop off Bobcats starting pitcher senior Sydney Robey (6-11) to put Army up 4-3.
In the next at-bat, sophomore Casey Herzog committed an error that put Army up 5-3. Two batters later, sophomore Taylor Gaff hit an RBI single to center putting Army up 6-3. Sophomore Emily Czaja committed an error in the next at-bat as Army went up 7-3.
“Our defense has been rock solid so far, but today was a little glitch,” Bobcats manager Jill Karwoski said on her team’s defense.
Herzog came in to relieve Robey after a fielder’s choice made it 8-3 in favor of Army. Herzog allowed singles to the first two batters she faced and Army added to its lead, making it 11-3 before striking out freshman pinch-hitter Izzy Gates to end the inning.
Six of the runs Army scored in the fifth were unearned.
“I think we just got overwhelmed ourselves,” Bobcat senior Molly Jarrett said. “We just need to settle down and do our thing.”
The Bobcats ended up getting a run back in the bottom half of the fifth to avoid the mercy rule when senior Dani Edmands tripled to right, scoring freshman Rebecca Drake and making it 11-4.
Army got a run in the top of the seventh and shut down the Bobcats the rest of the way as it own 12-4.
The Bobcats’ three other runs came from a Herzog RBI double in the first and a two-run single from Jarrett in the third.
The teams were tied going into the fifth inning again in game two. Freshman Mae Wadkya got things started for Army in the fifth when she reached on a bunt single off Bobcat starter freshman Kendall Brundrett (1-2).
Wadkya proceeded to steal second and advance to third after Edmands threw the ball into center. Army senior Kasey McCravey knocked her in with a single, putting her team up 2-1.
“I think they made those adjustments,” Karwoski said about the difference between her team’s play in the second game. “At the end of the day, it’s about who got more runs on the board.”
Army added to its lead in the sixth when Gaff singled to left off Robey to put Army up 3-1.
Freshman Renee Poirier (6-5) pitched a complete game for Army by getting the Bobcats to go down in order in the seventh and solidifying the win.
The Bobcats’ only run in the game came in the first inning when Robey grounded out to short, scoring sophomore Miranda Magana.
Even with her team’s performance, Karwoski considered Wednesday a special day because it was #BeatCancer day.
“Today was a little bit different,” Karwoski said. “We’ve had two family members affected by cancer. All of our players have had family members either battling cancer, surviving cancer, or ones that have lost to cancer. So as a whole we are going for a beat cancer theme.”
The Bobcats will continue conference play this weekend when they host Fairfield for two games on Saturday and Iona on Sunday.
