LEESBURG, Fla. – Freshmen
Samantha Fancher (Gales Ferry, Conn.) and
Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) both had three hits and Plymouth State University scored eight times in the bottom of the sixth to beat Finlandia University to split a pair of softball games at THE Spring Games on Friday.
PSU rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the fourth before erupting for eight runs in the sixth inning to pick up the first career victory for interim head coach
Michael Bernier. Ly smacked a pair of doubles in the big inning as Plymouth State scored its final six runs during a two-out rally.
The Panthers were stung by a walk-off sacrifice fly in a 2-1 setback to the University of Dubuque in the season opener earlier in the day. Junior
Sam McCann (Berlin, N.H.) and sophomore
Nicole LeBrun (Concord, N.H.) combined to allow just five hits, with both Spartans' runs coming via sacrifice flies.
Plymouth State ends the day at 1-1 and continues its Florida trip with two more games on Saturday (Mar. 5).
The Basics:
- Game 1: Plymouth State 1, Dubuque 2
- Game 2: Plymouth State 11, Finlandia 3 (6 Innings)
- Plymouth State (1-1)
- Dubuque (5-2)
- Finlandia (0-10)
How it Happened (Dubuque):
- Plymouth State got off to a good start when senior Lauren Archambault (Rehoboth, Mass.) walked and senior Emily Picard (Berlin, N.H.) singled with one away in the top of the first. A double steal put them both in scoring position, but the Panthers were unable to drive them in.
- Dubuque loaded the bases in the second with a single and pair of two-out walks, but McCann got out of the inning unscathed.
- PSU rode the momentum to scratch across the game's first run the next half inning when senior Madison Harris (Randolph, Mass.) came up with a clutch two-out single to score Archambault from second.
- The Spartans used small ball to tie the game in the fourth. After a leadoff single and walk, a sacrifice bunt and sac fly knotted the game at 1-1.
- Neither team was able to get much offense going after that, until Dubuque led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple. The next batter flew out to center to score the game-winning run.
By the Numbers (Dubuque):
- PSU's offense was limited to singles from Picard, Harris and sophomore Vanessa Bryan (Stoneham, Mass.).
- Colby worked a pair of walks to reach base twice.
- McCann allowed three hits and two walks over the first three innings, while LeBrun took the loss after surrendering both Dubuque runs over the final 3.1.
How it Happened (Finlandia):
- The Lions scored an unearned run in the top of the first, then took advantage of two PSU errors in the third to push the lead to 3-0.
- Plymouth State rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ly singled in Bryan to get the Panthers on the board and after the second out of the inning senior Katie Burk (East Islip, N.Y.) ripped an RBI triple. Sophomore Jersey Strum (Somersworth, N.H.) followed with a game-tying double to knot the score at 3-3.
- Plymouth State closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth. Ly and freshman Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) ripped back-to-back doubles to give the Panthers the lead, 4-3. After a passed ball advanced the runner, sophomore Alyssa Wilson (Haverhill, Mass.) drove in Pelletier with a bunt hit to push the lead to 5-3.
- With two down, Fancher and freshman Jade Guertin (Burrillville, R.I.) had RBI singles ahead of Bryan's run-scoring double. McCann singled to put runners on the corners and a passed ball scored another run for a 9-3 lead.
- Ly roped her second double of the inning and Pelletier drove her in with a single to end the game.
By the Numbers (Finlandia):
- The top three in the order – Fancher, Guertin and Bryan – combined to go 7-for-12 with two doubles, three RBI and four runs scored.
- Fancher and Ly both had three hits, with Ly and Pelletier each knocking in two runs.
- The Panthers had seven extra base hits in the game.
- Strum struck out four and scattered four hits over four innings of work. All three runs scored by the Lions were unearned.
- Wilson struck out three and allowed just one baserunner over two scoreless innings to pick up her first career win.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State continues its spring trip with a pair of games tomorrow (Mar. 5). The Panthers face off against Penn State Berks at 11:00 a.m. and battle Ursinus College at 12:45 p.m.
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