The Panthers brought a ten-game winning streak to in-conference Rhode Island College. They left with a two-game losing streak as an extra-inning heartbreaker and a blow-out gave Plymouth their first two LEC losses of the year.
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Game 1: RIC – 4 PSU – 3 (8 innings)
The Panthers battled back from a 2-1 deficit in the seventh to take the lead, but RIC wouldn’t go away, tying it in the bottom of the seventh and winning in the bottom of the eighth.
Going into the seventh down 2-1, Plymouth would claw their way back to take the lead. Up to that point they had produced little on offense. Their only run came on a fourth-inning Bekah Jackson (junior; Nashua, NH) single to center that the centerfielder misplayed, allowing Jackson to score. Nora Galvin (junior; Windham, NH) had pitched well, only giving up two runs, to keep the Panthers in the game.
The seventh started with a Vanessa Przybylo (freshman; Queensbury, NY) walk. Shirley Butterfield (freshman; Atkinson, NH) followed with a single, putting runners on first and second. Taylor Mancini (junior; Gansevoort, NY) bunted the runners over to third and second. With two outs and the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Jenn Bove (senior; Medford, MA) singled to centerfield, plating both runners, taking the lead 3-2.
Defensive miscues would be the Panthers downfall. An error in the seventh put the tying run on second. A RBI single later in the inning tied up the game with the unearned run.
With the game knotted at 3-3, Plymouth couldn’t get anything going in the top of the eighth. RIC would win it in the bottom of the eighth. A walk, intentional walk, and a single loaded the bases. With one out, RIC was able to score on an error, and the game was over 4-3.
Bove had the clutch hit, going 1-for-3 in the game with two RBIs. Butterfield had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Galvin finished the game with eight strikeouts, seven walks, while allowing 11 hits, and four runs (two earned) in 7.1 innings of work.
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Game 2: RIC – 11 PSU – 3 (5 innings)
An RIC grandslam in the fourth inning broke open the game, and the Panthers couldn’t fight back, dropping their second straight game.