CLERMONT, Fla. – Junior
Caroline Macri (Burlington, Mass.) executed the perfect squeeze bunt to plate the winning run as Plymouth State University walked-off Beloit College, 11-10, in nine innings in the second of two games at THE Spring Games on Friday.
Plymouth State dropped a 4-2 decision to Roger Williams in the opener.
The Panthers were poised to best Beloit in regulation, carrying a 6-5 lead into the seventh inning, but the Buccaneers were able to push a run across to extend the game. After PSU was held scoreless in the bottom of the frame, the game went into extras where the Buccaneers scored four times in the eighth.
PSU wasted little time in the bottom of the inning, though, as sophomore
Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) tripled in a run before back-to-back hit batters and a walk made it 10-8. Beloit recorded two outs, but sophomore
Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) reached on an error and a wild throw allowed two runs to score to knot the game at 10-10.
Junior
Kate McGrath (Boston, Mass.) worked a scoreless top of the ninth and junior
Jade Guertin (Oakland, R.I.) was placed on second to start the bottom half. She was sacrificed to third, setting up Macri's heroics.
Roger Williams scored four times in the bottom of the first to take the early lead in the opener. McGrath quieted the Hawks' bats from there, allowing just one hit the rest of the way. PSU had plenty of traffic on the basepaths, but the big hit proved elusive. The Panthers took advantage of a pair of errors to score twice in the sixth and E. Bessette walked to bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh with just one out, but RWU was able to hold on for the win.
Plymouth State ends the week with a 6-8 mark. Roger Williams improves to 6-3, while Beloit moves to 2-10.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, Roger Williams 4
- Plymouth State 11, Beloit 10 (9 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (6-8)
- Roger Williams (6-3)
- Beloit (2-10)
How it Happened (Roger Williams):
- A bases loaded hit by pitch gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the first and the next batter cleared the bases for a three-run single to make it 4-0.
- Sophomore Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.) walked and moved to third on a pair of passed balls in the top of the second, but a strikeout ended the threat.
- PSU had two base runners in the third as juniors Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine) and Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) singled with two down, but again Roger Williams got out of the jam.
- Freshman Avery Couch (Fort Worth, Texas) singled and E. Bessette walked to start the fourth, but a double play ball and infield popup thwarted the Panthers' scoring chances.
- Montelongo tripled with one down in the fifth. Nezuch worked a two-out walk, but once again RWU wriggled out of trouble.
- The Panthers finally broke through in the sixth. E. Bessette singled and stole second and an error allowed her to score. Macri singled to put runners on the corners and Montelongo's walk loaded the bases. Another RWU miscue cut the margin to 4-2 with the bases remaining loaded, but a groundout ended the inning.
- E. Bessette drew a one-out walk in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but a foul out and strike out ended the game.
By the Numbers (Roger Williams):
- Montelongo finished 2-for-3 with a triple and reached base three times.
- Nezuch walked twice, while E. Bessette had a single and two walks.
- McGrath allowed just four singles, though three came in the first inning. She struck out two and needed just 74 pitches to complete the game.
How it Happened (Beloit):
- The Buccaneers benefited from a pair of unearned runs in the first and tacked on another run in the second.
- Plymouth State rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning. Nezuch reached on an error and E. Bessette was hit by a pitch. A walk and hit batter forced in one run before senior Abby Kenison (Boscawen, N.H.) poked a single through the right side to score two runs to tie the game at 3-3.
- Sophomore Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) came on in relief with a runner on second and no outs in the third. Beloit loaded the bases, but the Panthers' defense cut down a runner at the plate and a fly out ended the inning with the score still knotted at 3-3.
- PSU rode the momentum to pull ahead in the bottom of the frame. E. Bessette stroked a single to left to score Nezuch and give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
- Beloit leapfrogged in front with a two-out single to plate a pair of unearned runs, but the Panthers battled right back. Kenison singled and pinch runner, sophomore Ariana Cray (Merrimack, N.H.), crossed the plate on a triple off the bat of K. Bessette. Montelongo followed with a perfectly executed bunt single as PSU went back in front, 6-5.
- The Buccaneers tied the game in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice fly, then erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth.
- Macri was put on second to start the bottom of the frame and K. Bessette ripped a triple to drive her in. Montelongo and sophomore Keelie Wells (Milford, N.H.) were hit by pitches and Nezuch took a walk to make it 10-8. Beloit recorded two outs and looked ready to snag the win, but a throwing error on E. Bessette's ground ball allowed two runs to score to retie the game at 10-10.
- Beloit bunted the runner to third to start the ninth, but McGrath got a line out and ground ball to keep the Buccaneers off the board, setting up Macri's winning squeeze in the bottom of the inning.
By the Numbers (Beloit):
- K. Bessette went 2-for-4 with a pair of triples, two runs scored and two driven in, while E. Bessette was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Kenison also had a pair of hits and drove in two, while Macri was 2-for-3 with a run and the game-winning RBI.
- McGrath earned the win after throwing the final three innings.
Up Next:
- PSU opens Little East Conference (LEC) play on Mar. 30 with a pair of games at UMass Boston. First pitch for the opener is set for 1:00 p.m.
– 30 –
