The sunny, bright rays of the beautiful afternoon sky yielded a Little East Conference match-up between PSU and defending LEC Champions, Rhode Island College last Sat. April 19. RIC swept PSU 6-2 and 6-0 in the Panther’s home opener at Draper & Maynard Field.
RIC managed only three hits in the first game, but scored six unearned runs with the help of six PSU errors. RIC powered back in the nightcap with six runs on seven hits while PSU only managed four hits. RIC, ranked first in New England and the LEC, improved to 27-5 overall and 10-0 in the conference while the Panthers fell to 17-11 and 2-8 in the conference after the contest.
Both teams were held hitless after two innings before three PSU errors put the Anchorwomen on the board 3-0. The only hit of the inning came after a two-out, two-run double by first-year Kayla Jandreau. The Panthers responded quickly after sophomore, Jenna George, smacked a leadoff double. First-year, Melanie Neece, struck out the next two batters, but wouldn’t get out of the inning without a fight. First-year, Kortney Nedeau dinged a two-run shot over the leftfield fence for a two-run homerun to cut the margin to 3-2.
Sophomore, Kat Roland and Neece pitched a hitless fourth inning, but the Anchorwomen struck again in the top of the fifth inning. After sophomore Michelle Perrin singled, an error and bunt single loaded the bases for first-year, Amanda Perry, who walked to bring in a run. A fielder’s choice and an error on the catcher brought in another two runs to widen the Anchorwomen’s margin by four runs, making it a 6-2 ballgame.
Neece held the Panthers to only one hit through the next two innings to earn the win for RIC in opening game of the doubleheader to improve to a 14-2 pitching record this season. Neece pitched seven innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out eight batters. Roland pitched through seven innings, allowing three hits and six unearned runs while striking out seven batters. Roland dropped to a personal record of 8-4 overall this season.
The Anchorwomen responded quickly in the nightcap, scoring two runs quickly off junior co-captain Courtney MacFarland. RIC scored four times in the fourth inning while sophomores Jenna Devenines and Jamie Sacco held PSU to only four hits. Devenines earned the win in the nightcap, pitching four innings while allowing two hits. Sacco pitched three innings while only allowing two hits.
MacFarland pitched through seven innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits while striking out one.
The Panthers also traveled to Lyndon State College on Sun. April 20 and swept the Hornets by scores of 9-1 and 2-1 in a non-conference match-up to improve to 19-11 overall and 2-8 in the conference. PSU resumed action on Tues. April 22 when they traveled to Southern Maine, and hosted Middlebury College on Wed. April 23. The Panthers will finish up the regular season when they host UMass Boston on Sat. April 26.