The PSU Softball team played two doubleheaders this past weekend, facing Castleton in a non-conference matchup on Saturday and LEC competitor Western Connecticut on Sunday. The Panthers downed Castleton in the first game, but fell to the Spartans after 12 innings in the second game. On Sunday, they fell to West Conn in just five innings in both games.
In the first game against Castleton, Plymouth connected on twelve hits and scored a run in five out of the seven innings. Leading the Panthers at bat were sophomores Rachel Morrissey (Salem, N.H.) and Emma Rhodes (Rochester, N.H.) with three hits each. Classmate Katie Kennard (Concord, N.H.) followed closely with two hits and two RBIs. Freshman Abrie Davis (Amherst, N.H.) also connected with two hits, one of which was a home run, her second of the season.
Senior Whitney Roberts (Chocorua, N.H.) took the win on the mound for the Panthers. She tossed all seven innings, giving up only two runs and striking out six. The final score was 5-2.
In the following game, the Panthers connected with just half the number of hits that they had in the first game, with Kennard and freshman Jessica Pietersen (Norton, M.A.) leading the way with two hits apiece. The game was scoreless until the top of the eighth, when freshman Taylor Wood (Londonderry, N.H.) drove in a run with a single to right center field to give Plymouth the lead. Castleton quickly answered with their own RBI single from senior Kayla Daigle in the bottom of the inning to bring it back to a tie game at 1-1.
The Panthers regained the lead in the ninth inning, with a sacrifice fly ball to right field from Davis that drove in a run. This was again answered by the Spartans at the bottom of the inning with an RBI double from junior Brittany Brayman. Castleton would go on to score the winning run in the bottom of the 12th due to a defensive throwing error by the Panthers, the final score 3-2.
Freshman pitcher Allison Moylan (Methuen, M.A.) took the loss for PSU, though she did not give up any runs after coming into the game in the bottom of the 11th. Pietersen started the game and tossed over 130 pitches in ten innings, giving up just two unearned runs on five hits and four walks. She struck out four.
On Sunday, the Panthers fell to West Conn in an LEC matchup after five innings in both games of the doubleheader, as the Colonials drove in a total of 25 runs and allowed PSU to cross home plate just once.
In the first game, the Panthers managed just three hits, two of which came from sophomore Nicole Abreu (Hudson, N.H.). Plymouth was kept scoreless in the opener, while West Conn drove in two runs in both the second and third innings. They sealed the deal with an explosive at bat in the top of the fourth, driving in 11 runs. The final score was 15-0.
West Conn carried their momentum into the second game, opening the first inning by scoring six runs. The Panthers would score their first run of the day in the bottom of the third with an RBI double from Kennard. PSU was held to just three hits over the course of this game, as well. The final score after five innings was 10-1.
After the four games this weekend the Panthers are 4-13 overall and 0-3 in the LEC. Plymouth is scheduled to play at home for the first time this Tuesday with an LEC doubleheader against Southern Maine, beginning at 3:30 p.m.