PLYMOUTH – Chilly weather and a formidable Rhode Island College team proved to be unforgiving foes for Plymouth State Softball, as RIC swept the Little East doubleheader at D&M Park.
The Anchorwomen held on for a 2-1 victory in game one, then pounded out 17 hits in a 10-2 victory for game two. RIC improved to 24-7-1 overall and 6-1-1 in LEC play, while PSU fell to 4-21 overall and 1-7 in the Little East Conference.
The game began quietly as Panther Courtney MacFarland and the Anchorwomen’s Nicole Riley shut down the offense on both teams. Rhode Island struck first in the fourth inning when junior Kristyn Alexander hit a leadoff double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Andree Sitnik.
The Panthers put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when sophomore Lori Pettengill walked, then scored on a double by freshman Leanne Barry.
RIC answered back in the next inning, loading the bases after two hits and an intentional walk. Freshman Justine Burgess came to plate and took advantage of the opportunity with a one-run single, earning the Anchorwomen a 2-1 lead. With the bases still loaded, freshman pitcher Lisa Illinger took to the mound to get the Panthers out of a jam with three straight infield outs, keeping the Panthers within a run.
The Panthers did not fall quietly as they entered the bottom of the seventh inning. The Panthers had the tying run on third base after a wild pitch and a throwing error and the winning run at first base. With two outs, sophomore Kristi Curry came to the plate, but Riley struck her out, earning the complete-game effort and improving her record to 17-2 in the win.
Game two was not as close. Rhode Island College opened with four runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back, quickly retiring freshman pitcher Lisa Illinger and brining senior Rose Eaton to the mound.
The Panthers answered in their half of the inning. After a single from freshman Heather Bartolo, sophomore Devin Caswell crushed a two-run home run – her team-leading second of the season – to cut the deficit to two.
The Anchorwomen struck again in the third inning after Eaton allowed a leadoff bunt. With their next two batters going down, RIC responded as sophomore Christie Lotti stepped in for a triple, brining in another run. Kristyn Alexander followed with a single to bring in Lotti, and the Anchorwomen left the inning with a 6-2 lead.
The Anchorwomen’s bats remained hot in the fifth inning. After a walk to Alexander and a single by Sitnik, Burgess hit a double to bring both home. The Panthers would allow another run in the sixth inning after a leadoff home run and another run in the seventh to cap the eight-run loss.
Freshman Heather Bartolo and sophomore Devin Caswell had all five PSU hits in the nightcap. Bartolo collected three singles, and Caswell had two hits, including her two-run home run in the first inning.
The Panthers dropped another pair of conference games Tuesday at Southern Maine before hosting Lyndon State College on Thursday. Three games out of the final playoff seed with four remaining, the Panthers will play host on Saturday at 1 p.m. against UMass Boston before wrapping up their regular season at Eastern Connecticut on Sunday.