Mansfield, CT – Sam Hebert (junior; Manchester, NH), Jackie Digman (junior; Burlington, MA), and Bekah Jackson (junior; Nashua) all went yard, leading the Panthers to a 6-4 victory against Rhode Island College in the first round of the Little East Conference softball tournament.
Plymouth got on the board early. After starter Nora Galvin (junior; Windham, NH) set down Rhode Island in the top of the first, Plymouth jumped out to an early lead. After a Rhode Island error put a runner on first, Hebert put one over the right field fence to take a 2-0 lead.
Rhode Island cut the lead in half in the top of the third, but Plymouth answered. This time with a Digman lead-off homerun to left, pushing the lead to 3-1. The Panthers added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Cynthia Barata (sophomore; New Fairfield, CT) led off the inning with a double. Jackson drove her in with a RBI triple, and then Calli DeGrace (senior; Plymouth, NH) drove in Jackson with a RBI bunt. Rhode Island College got one back in the top of the fifth to go into the sixth inning with Plymouth up 5-2.
Whitney Roberts (sophomore; Chocorua, NH) came into pitch for Galvin, and was touched for two runs in the sixth. With the Plymouth lead cut to 5-4, Jackson led off the bottom of the sixth with a homerun to left center to build the lead up to 6-4. Roberts would have a clean top of the seventh and the Panthers won their opening round game.
Jackson led the way on offense going 2-for-4 with a triple, homerun, and two RBIs. Digman went 2-for-4 with a homerun and a RBI, and Hebert went 3-for-3 with a homerun and two RBIs. Galvin went 4 innings with five strikeouts and two walks, while giving up nine hits and two runs. Roberts went 3 innings with one strikeout, while giving up five hits and two runs.