Wesleyan University Softball Rallies in the Bottom of the 7th to Split the Doubleheader with Western New England

MIDDLETOWN, Conn.- The Wesleyan University softball team split a doubleheader with Western New England University on Tuesday. The Cardinals, after losing game one, 2-0, rallied in the bottom of the seventh in game two to earn a 7-6 victory.

RECORDS
Wesleyan: 19-11
WNEU: 19-13

GAME ONE

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Golden Bears would strike first, scoring an unearned run of Su Pardo ’16 in the top of the first.
• Western New England would tack on another run in the top of the third to give them a two run advantage.
• Pardo held the Golden Bears hitless in innings two, four, five, six and seven. Their only runner reached on an error in the fifth.
• Rachel Kantor ’19 would single in the top of the seventh, but she would be left stranded as Western New England claimed game one, 2-0.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Pardo pitched a complete game for the Cardinals, allowing just four hits and no earned runs. She also struck out five and walked none.
• Izzy Linzer ’17 went 2-3 on the day for Wesleyan.
• The 1-5 hitters for the Cardinals went a combined 6-14.
• Earning the complete game shut out victory for the Golden Bears was Heidi Grieger, whose record now improves to 12-5.
• Gabby Lavinio went 2-2 for the visitors.

GAME TWO:

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The visitors got out to an early 2-0 lead as Heather Fecteau hit a 2-run homerun over the right centerfield wall.
• Alexis Bukowski would knock a homerun over the left centerfield wall in the top of the fourth to give the visitors the 3-0 advantage.
• Julie McDonald ’18, who started the game in the circle for Wesleyan, helped herself in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single to bring the Cardinals to within 2. Her battery mate, Mollie Grunat ’16 would tie the game with a single to center which scored McDonald and Amanda Roosa ’16.
• The Cardinals would take their first lead of the day in the bottom of the fifth thanks to RBI singles from Roosa and McDonald to give them a 5-3 advantage.
• In the top of the seventh, with runners on second and third and two outs, McKenzie Pezze took the McDonald pitch over the leftfield wall to give the visitors the 6-5 lead.
• Wesleyan rallied in the bottom of the seventh, and with the bases loaded and no outs, McDonald laced a single just fair past the bag at third to score Roosa and Kantor, and gave the Cardinals the 7-6 win.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• McDonald and Roosa both went 3-4 on the day, with McDonald knocking in four runs and Roosa one run.
• Grunat went 2-3 with two RBIs.
• For the visitors, Pezze went 2-4 with 3 RBIs while Fecteau went 1-3 with two RBIs.

UP NEXT

• The Cardinals will be back on the field, Thursday, April 21 as they will host the University of Saint Joseph at 5 p.m.
• The Golden Bears are back in action on Saturday, April 23 as they will host Wentworth in a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled for a noon start. 

Photo courtesy of Jonas Powell