CLERMONT, Fla. – Sophomore
Kate McGrath (Boston, Mass.) threw a complete game six-hit shutout to lead Plymouth State University over #19 Belhaven University in the first of two games for the Panthers' softball squad at THE Spring Games on Tuesday.
Belhaven put two on with one away in the fourth, but PSU made a heads up play to get the lead runner on a ground ball to third, and a strikeout ended the inning. Plymouth State scored the game's only run in the bottom half on a two-out double off the bat of senior
Sam McCann (Berlin, N.H.), and McGrath and the Panthers' defense made the lead stand.
Freshman
Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) followed with another strong start in the second game, surrendering just one earned in five innings. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls took advantage of an error to score three runs in the bottom of the second to snap a 1-1 tie, and neither pitcher would budge the rest of the way as the Falcons held on for the 4-1 win.
Plymouth State moves to 2-6 on the season, while Belhaven, ranked #19 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, slips to 7-9. Wisconsin-River Falls ends the day at 8-4.
The Basics:
- Game 1: Plymouth State 1, #19 Belhaven 0
- Game 2: Plymouth State 1, Wisconsin-River Falls 4
- Plymouth State (2-6)
- #19 Belhaven (7-9)
- Wisconsin-River Falls (8-4)
How it Happened (Belhaven):
- After working around a hit batter in the first, McGrath pitched out of trouble in the second. A leadoff walk and passed ball put a runner in scoring position with none out, but the PSU defense turned a liner to third into a double play to avoid any damage.
- McGrath mowed through the Blazers in the third, striking out the side.
- Belhaven put two runners on in the fourth, but a heads up play by sophomore Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine) helped keep the game scoreless. Montelongo fielded a grounder and stepped on the bag to erase the lead runner and McGrath struck out the next batter to end the threat.
- Plymouth State rode the momentum to score the game's only run in the bottom half. Freshman Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) worked a one-out walk and was sacrificed to second. McCann came up huge with a double to center to drive in the run.
- The Blazers had runners on second and third with one down in the fifth, but McGrath induced a liner to first base and a ground out to preserve the lead.
- McGrath came up big again in the sixth getting back-to-back groundouts after the Blazers put two runners on base, and the Plymouth State defense turned a game-inning double play to close out the win.
By the Numbers (Belhaven):
- McGrath threw 103 pitches for the complete game shutout. She scattered six hits and struck out five to improve to 1-1 on the year.
- The Panthers' offense was limited to just two hits – McCann's clutch two-out double and a single by freshman Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.).
- Bessette reached base twice with a pair of walks.
- PSU's defense turned three double plays in the game.
How it Happened (Wisconsin-River Falls):
- UW-River Falls had three straight hits with one down in the first to take a 1-0 lead.
- Sophomore Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) knocked a leadoff single to start the second and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Senior Rachyl Parslow (Temple, N.H.) ripped a double to left to tie the game, but was stranded at second.
- The Falcons took advantage of a leadoff error to retake the lead in the bottom half. Antrim nearly worked around the runner with back-to-back outs, but a single made it 2-1 and the next batter went deep to make it a 4-1 lead.
- Bessette singled to start the third and a batter later graduate student Emily Picard (Berlin, N.H.) walked, but UW-River Falls got out of the jam.
- Both pitchers were locked in from there as baserunners were hard to come by and Plymouth State was unable to cut into the deficit.
By the Numbers (Wisconsin-River Falls):
- Parslow's double and singles from Bessette and Pelletier accounted for the Panthers' three hits.
- Picard, Parslow and sophomore Caroline Macri (Burlington, Mass.) all drew walks.
- Antrim allowed just one earned over five innings. She struck out three.
- Pelletier walked one and struck out one in an inning's worth of work.
Up Next:
- The Panthers enjoy an off day tomorrow before facing Gallaudet University and Beloit College on Thursday (Mar. 16).
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