Softball Walks Off with Victory in Florida Trip Finale

CLERMONT, Fla. – For the second straight day, the Regis College softball team bounced back from a defeat, following a 5-0 loss to Houghton with a 4-3 victory over Rose-Hulman Thursday at the Hancock Park Complex in the team's final games of their Spring Break trip.

Regis 4, Rose-Hulman 3

After Rose-Hulman tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning, Regis pitcher Madi McLellan (Fremont, N.H.) held the Fightin' Engineers to a leadoff single in the top of the seventh. Rose-Hulman reliever Emily Struble retired the first two Pride batters in the bottom of the seventh, but then Ellery Rasmussen (Kingston, N.H.) and Diana Petrarca (Coventry, R.I.) kept the inning alive with consecutive singles. Alex Page (New Boston, N.H.) drew a walk to load the bases, and Brianna Page (New Boston, N.H.) sent a grounder between second and third base in which everyone advanced safely, including Rasmussen with the game-winning run.

The Pride struck first in the bottom of the second as Brianna Page led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and came around to score on a single by Erin Murphy (Bedford, N.H.). Meanwhile, McLellan kept Rose-Hulman off the scoreboard through the first five innings, pitching her way out of situations with Fightin' Engineer runners in scoring position in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Kayla Morrill (Lynn, Mass.) sent a single to left field and then scored on a double by Rasmussen. Petrarca followed with her own double to drive in Rasmussen, extending the Regis lead to 3-0.

Rose-Hulman (3-5) finally broke through in the top of the sixth, starting with a single by Angela Boulboulle, who then scored on a double by Alexis Sullivan. Sullivan would advance to third on a single by pinch hitter Hannah Bach, and then Christina Gray would come off the bench and drive in Sullivan with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Back-to-back singles by Gabrielle Davidson and Alexis Fortuna loaded the bases, and then Struble would reach on an infield single, driving in Bach with the game-tying run. McLellan would end the Rose-Hulman rally by inducing a lineout, keeping the game tied at 3-3.

McLellan picked up her third victory of the season, allowing 12 hits and three runs while striking out five batters. Four different Regis hitters earned two hits apiece, as did five different batters in the Rose-Hulman lineup as the Fightin' Engineers outhit the Pride, 12-10, but stranded nine runners on base.

Houghton 5, Regis 0

Houghton (2-3) took advantage of a Regis error in the bottom of the first, as the Highlanders put together a two-out rally, highlighted by a two-run double from Caitlyn Cybart. The Pride threatened to cut into their deficit in the third inning as Murphy walked and Rasmussen singled, but the scoring chance ended on a groundout.

In the bottom of the fourth, Hannah Cybart led off with a single, and Barbara Richert followed with a one-out walk. The Pride committed an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Lauren Couturier, allowing Cybart to score, and then Richert was able to score before Regis doubled off Couturier on a lineout, increasing the Houghton lead to 4-0.

The Highlanders added one more run in the fifth on doubles by Katie Jones and Grace Thompson. Regis loaded the bases to start the sixth inning on singles by both Page sisters as well as Alyssa Ward (Webster, Mass.), but Houghton pitcher Kayla Loomis retired the next three Pride batters to preserve her shutout.

Petrarca started for the Pride, allowing four hits and four runs, only one of them earned, in four innings of work. Offensively, Regis was held to six hits by six different players and stranded 10 runners on base during the game.

Regis College (3-5) will have two weeks to prepare for the rest of the 2020 season, starting with home doubleheaders on consecutive days against Fisher Saturday, March 21, and Fitchburg State Sunday, March 22.