KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Plymouth State University dropped a pair of games at THE Spring Games at Fortune Road Athletic Complex on Saturday.
The Panthers were limited to three hits in a dominant performance by the North Central College starting pitcher in the opener, as the Cardinals earned a 3-0 win. The game remained scoreless into the fifth, when the Cardinals scored five times and North Central would tack on two more for a 7-0 win.
In the second game of the day, PSU opened the scoring in the third for a 2-0 lead. The Stars rallied with a three-run sixth, but PSU answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame to tie the score. Dominican scratched a run across in the eighth and PSU was unable to match it in the bottom of the inning of a 4-3 setback.
Plymouth State dips to 1-2. North Central moves to 3-1, while the Stars jump to 11-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 0, North Central 7
- Plymouth State 3, Dominican 4 (8 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (1-2)
- North Central (3-1)
- Dominican (11-1)
How it Happened (North Central):
- Freshman Kiera Larson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) had her first collegiate hit, a one-out single in the second, but North Central retired the next two hitters.
- Sophomore Ashley Trogler (Rochester, N.H.) had a leadoff single through the left side in the top of the third. After a foul out she advanced to second on a ground ball, but another ground out ended the inning.
- The Cardinals put a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings, but senior Alyssa Wilson (Bradford, Mass.) worked out of each jam and recorded a one-two-three inning in the fourth as the game remained scoreless.
- North Central only had one hit reach the outfield grass in the bottom of the fifth, but the Cardinals scraped together five runs thanks to three infield hits, a walk, wild pitch and sacrifice fly to take the lead.
- Freshman Cayleigh Adams (Hampton, N.H.) singed to start the sixth but was erased on a fielder's choice and North Central tacked on two more in the sixth to extend the margin.
- PSU was unable to rally in the final at bat.
By the Numbers (North Central):
- Larson, Trogler and Adams all singled for the Panthers.
- Wilson was charged with five runs (four earned) over her five innings in the circle. She struck out three.
- Freshman Lauren Laudani (Londonderry, N.H.) made her first collegiate appearance with an inning of work.
- North Central leads the all-time series, 2-1-1. The last meeting came during the 2003 season, with PSU taking a 9-0 win in five innings.
How it Happened (Dominican):
- Plymouth State got out to a quick start in the third inning with junior Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine) reaching on an error. She was bunted to second and sophomore Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) moved her to third with a base hit. Freshman Avery Couch (Fort Worth, Texas) singled in Montelongo for a 1-0 lead, and Bessette later came around on a hit by junior Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) to extend the margin to 2-0.
- The Stars pulled ahead with a three-run sixth, but PSU tied it up when Adams scored on Larson's single to knot the game at 3-3.
- Both teams had quick outs in the seventh as the game went into extras.
- Dominican used a sac fly to push across the go-ahead run and PSU was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning.
By the Numbers (Dominican):
- Couch went 2-for-4 and drove in a run.
- Larson and Ly also recorded RBIs for the Panthers.
- Sophomore Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) worked four scoreless innings.
- Junior Kate McGrath (Boston, Mass.) was saddled with the loss after giving up three earned over the final four frames.
Up Next:
- PSU squares off against Wheaton College and Rutgers Camden on Sunday (Mar. 10).
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