(Game 1
Box) (Game 2 Box)
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Plymouth State University
softball team split two games for the fifth time in its last six
doubleheaders Thursday afternoon, defeating Middlebury College 6-2
in the first game but falling 5-1 in the nightcap.
The two games were the final home contests for Middlebury (15-15)
as it wraps up its season with a two-game series at Lyndon State on
Friday. Plymouth State (18-13) also plays its final home games of
the regular season on Friday, hosting Castleton at 3:30 p.m. at
D&M Park.
PSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 when sophomore
Andrea Pydynkowski (Danvers, Mass.) slapped a
two-run single to center. Plymouth State added a pair in the second
for a 4-0 lead as freshman Allie Luisi (North
Kingstown, R.U.) singled in a run and later scored on a fielding
error.
The visitors added runs in the fourth and fifth innings, both with
two outs. An RBI single by Luisi in the fourth was followed by a
home run to left field by junior Kay LaBrie
(Somersworth, N.H.) in the fifth, her first of the season, for a
6-0 lead.
Middlebury got a pair back in the seventh. Megan Margel smacked a
double to right center and was knocked in by an Emily Burbridge
'sdouble to left, and Ali McAnaney plated Burbridge with an
RBI single up the middle.
PSU starter Courtney MacFarland (Hampstead, N.H.)
pitched shutout ball through six innings, and earned the win (10-6)
with 6.1 innings, giving up two earned runs, while striking out
eight. Junior Sammi Romano (Kingston, N.H.) came
on in relief in the seventh and got the final two outs.
Luisi led PSU with a 3-for-4 effort including three RBI, while
Pydynkowski had a pair of hits and two RBI.
Game 2 saw Middlebury methodically build a five-run lead through
five innings. In the first inning, with runners on second and
third, Burbridge beat out an infield single, but Plymouth got the
lead runner out at home on a 3-2 put-out. Plymouth believing the
put-out at home was the third out, began to leave the field. During
the confusion, Leslie Crawford raced home from second base for the
1-0 lead.
Middlebury scored two more in the third on RBI's by Margel and
Burbridge for a 3-0 lead. They added another run in the fourth when
McAnaney's ground out to second plated Constantin, who reached on
an error to start the inning. Middlebury capped the scoring in the
fifth when Burbridge knocked in Crawford from third on a grounder
to first base.
Constantin, the starting pitcher for Middlebury, took the 5-0 lead
into the seventh. After retiring the first two PSU batters, she
gave up the only extra-base hit of the game to Luisi, who doubled
to center field. A throwing error allowed Luisi to advance to third
and she later scored on a Constantin wild pitch.
Constantin (7-4) was impressive in the circle, allowing four hits
and one unearned run over seven innings, while striking out eight
for the win.
(Courtesy of Middlebury Sports Information)
-- 30 --
