The PSU Softball team needed something to happen at the bottom of the ninth, with bases loaded and freshman Taylor Mancini (Gansevoort, NY) answered with a bloop single over the pitcher’s head that gave the Panthers a 5-4 victory over Western Connecticut. With the win, Plymouth State University split the Little East Conference softball doubleheader at D & M Park on Saturday, April 30th, 2011.
In their first game of the day, WestConn defeated the Panthers, 6-0. Junior Magen Dargon and first-year Stephanie Moss silenced PSU’s bats all game. Only four hits and four walks were allowed by WestConn pitching. With the series split, the Colonials have a 22-9 overall record and 7-5 conference mark, while PSU is now 17-18 overall and 4-8 in the Little East Conference.
Head coach Bruce Addison was proud of his team following Saturday’s actions. “Knowing we needed to take one game in order to qualify for the LEC tournament. Everything came together in our second game. We got timely hits and made pitches, and plays when we had to. It was fun to watch them succeed and work hard for a come from behind victory in the bottom of the seventh to win a meaningful game.”
In the nightcap, the Colonials scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning in an attempt to close out the series. The tying run came as senior Anna Levesque’s line drive bounced off of the third baseman’s glove, and the go-ahead run came home on a passed ball.
Plymouth State put the first two runners on board in the bottom of the seventh with an infield single by sophomore Jenn Bove (Medford, Mass.) and a walk by first-year Jackie Digman (Burlington, Mass.). The Panthers continued moving their runners with a sacrifice bunt followed by an intentional walk. With the bases loaded, first-year Sam Hebert (Mancheser, N.H./Memorial) lined out to right field, hoping to earn a run for her team but the hit was not deep enough to get the runner home from third. Mancini batted next and ended the game with her single to the right side. Bove and Digman scored the tying and winning runs as they crossed the plate.
With the softball season wrapping up and playoffs ready to begin, Coach Addison was asked what he felt the high points of the year were from his point of view. “Watching the freshmen develop. We have a very young squad, led by the 9 freshmen, so they have gained valuable experience. Playing thru highs and lows, peaks and valleys, so my expectations for them are very high from this season on.” Coach Addison and the Panthers will get an opportunity to realize their potential as they enter the LEC tournament this week as the sixth seed.