Pride Come Alive in Game Two to Defeat Skidmore, Split Day’s Doubleheader

CLERMONT, Fla. — The Regis College softball team returned to the field Thursday for a pair of games against fellow Massachusetts foe Nichols College and Skidmore College. The Pride dropped the opener to Nichols, 6-3, but bounced back with a 9-4 victory over Skidmore to improve to 2–6 on the season. 

Regis vs. Nichols

Sydney Hicks led off with a double and helped spark a quick start for the Bison, who used aggressive baserunning to take a 2-0 lead after the first. The inning could have been bigger, but Mel Rees made a strong backhand stop to end the threat and strand a runner.

Francesca Licata picked up where she left off Tuesday, opening the bottom half with a triple to the right-field corner. She later scored on an RBI from Lynsey Kay to cut the deficit in half.

Nichols responded in the second when Hicks struck again with an inside-the-park home run to extend the lead. Kristen Galvin later doubled and used aggressive baserunning to reach scoring position, but a double play ended the inning and kept the Bison ahead.

The Bison added more in the third with back-to-back hits down the right-field line before Madi Zancan recorded the final out to limit the damage.

Regis began to chip away in the fourth as a throwing error allowed Michaela Edwards to score, and Madigan Lawler followed with an RBI that brought home Megan Arruda, cutting the deficit to 6-3.

The game settled into a defensive battle over the next few innings. With Sydney Grund on first and two outs in the seventh, the Pride looked to spark a rally, but a flyout to center ended the threat and secured the 6-3 Nichols victory.

Regis vs. Skidmore

The Regis bats came alive in game two as Mel Rees doubled to center to drive in the game's first run and later scored on a hit from Kristen Galvin to give the Pride a 2–0 lead after one inning.

An inning later, the Pride broke the game open. Grund and Licata drew walks to set the table before Lynsey Kay cleared the bases with a two-run triple to right. Samantha Kelepouris followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, and Avery Simpson added an RBI single later in the inning to cap a four-run frame.

Both teams stayed quiet until the fifth when Grund brought Grace Motto around to extend the lead to eight. Skidmore answered in the bottom half, using an error to plate a run and keep the game alive.

In the sixth, Arruda started the inning with a disciplined walk and Michaela Edwards followed with a single to put two on. After a double play erased Arruda, Zancan and Simpson hit back-to-back singles to load the bases, but Skidmore's pitcher escaped the jam with a strikeout.

Regis added another in the seventh as Grund led off with a double and later scored on Rees' RBI groundout.

Skidmore tried to rally in the bottom half after reaching on a throwing error and collecting several hits, including an RBI double from Mallory Allen and an RBI single by Elle Harrison, but the comeback attempt ended when Julian froze the final batter with a strikeout to seal the win.

Inside the Numbers

• Francesca Licata recorded the first triple of her collegiate career in game two.
• Kate Julian earned the win in game two, pitching a complete game while allowing no earned runs and striking out six.
• The Pride totaled six extra-base hits: Kristen Galvin (2B), Sydney Grund (2B), Mel Rees (2B), Samantha Kelepouris (2B), Francesca Licata (3B), and Lynsey Kay (3B).
• Madigan Lawler recorded her first RBI of the season in game one.
• Avery Simpson caught her first runner stealing in game two, firing a throw to shortstop.
• Five members of the Pride recorded multi-hit games in game two: Sydney Grund (2-3), Lynsey Kay (2-4), Samantha Kelepouris (2-3), Mel Rees (2-4), and Avery Simpson (2-3).

Up Next

The Pride will wrap up their Spring Games slate tomorrow with a doubleheader, facing Blackburn at 10:00 a.m. followed by Haverford at 2:45 p.m.