CLERMONT, Fla. – Senior
Jade Guertin (Oakland, R.I.) delivered a clutch RBI walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning as Plymouth State University edged Clarkson University, 3-2, in the first of two softball games at
THE Spring Games at Legends Way Ballfields on Saturday. Hope College rallied for a walk-off 5-4 win over the Panthers in the second game of the day.
After the teams traded runs in the first inning, Clarkson took a 2-1 lead in the second. Junior pitcher
Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) settled in from there, recording back-to-back strikeouts to keep it a one-run game. Antrim wouldn't allow another base runner the rest of the way. PSU pulled even in the fourth when sophomore
Kiera Larson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and the game remained tied into extra innings. Junior
Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.) worked around a walk to strand two runners in the top of the eighth, and Guertin delivered a one-out single in the bottom half to secure the 3-2 walk-off victory.
In a back-and-forth contest against Hope, PSU took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on RBI singles from juniors
Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) and
Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.), but the Flying Dutch pulled even in the bottom of the inning. Plymouth State regained the lead in the sixth, but Hope rallied once more, scoring twice in its final at-bat to walk off with the win.
Plymouth State starts the season 1-1. Clarkson falls to 0-4, while Hope evens its record at 4-4.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, Clarkson 2 (8 Inn.)
- Plymouth State 4, Hope 5
- Plymouth State (1-1)
- Clarkson (0-4)
- Hope (4-4)
How it Happened (Clarkson):
- Clarkson loaded the bases with one out, but heads-up defense by the Panthers limited the damage. A bloop single dropped just beyond the diving left fielder, scoring a run, but K. Bessette alertly fired to third to record an out.
- PSU answered immediately as K. Bessette walked, stole second, advanced to took third on a wild pitch, and scored on sophomore Avery Couch's (Fort Worth, Texas) single to left.
- Clarkson regained the lead in the second with a triple and an RBI single for a 2-1 advantage, but Antrim responded by striking out the next two batters. She then retired 17 consecutive hitters, allowing the Panthers to rally.
- Singles by Nezuch and senior Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine), along with a walk, loaded the bases for PSU in the fourth. Larson was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run, but Clarkson escaped further damage.
- Nezuch entered in the eighth, with Clarkson bunting the automatic runner to third. A walk and stolen base put two runners in scoring position, but Nezuch induced a sharp groundout to short and won a long battle with the ensuing hitter with a flyout to left to keep the game tied.
- Senior Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) started the bottom half on second base, and Guertin battled back from an 0-2 count to fist a single into shallow right to score the game-winning run.
By the Numbers (Clarkson):
- Antrim allowed just three hits and struck out six over seven strong innings, retiring the final 17 batters she faced.
- Nezuch earned the win in relief.
- K. Bessette finished 2-for-3 with a walk, a steal, and a run scored.
- Couch reached base three times, collecting two singles and a walk while driving in a run.
- Larson and Guertin each recorded RBIs.
- Senior Caroline Macri (Burlington, Mass.) went 1-for-2 with a walk.
How it Happened (Hope):
- A walk and single put the Bessette sisters on the corners in the top of the first, and Kenzie crossed the plate on an RBI ground out by Couch for an early PSU lead.
- Hope responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 advantage.
- Junior Keelie Wells (Milford, N.H.) poked a one-out single to center in the top of the fifth. She moved up on a groundout, then scored on K. Bessette's RBI single. E. Bessette followed with an RBI single of her own as PSU reclaimed a 3-2 lead.
- The lead was short-lived, as the Flying Dutch plated an unearned run in the bottom half of the frame to pull even.
- Plymouth State used a two-out rally to move back in front in the sixth. Larson singled, and a walk put two runners aboard before Wells delivered an RBI single to right for a 4-3 advantage.
- With runners on second and third and one out, Hope capitalized on a PSU miscue to score twice and walk off with the win.
By the Numbers (Hope):
- K. Bessette reached twice, going 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI.
- E. Bessette had two singles and an RBI.
- Wells finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
- Senior Kate McGrath (Boston, Mass.) scattered six hits in 6.2 innings, allowing just one earned run.
Up Next:
- The Panthers square off against University of Chicago and SUNY Old Westbury on Sunday (Mar. 16).
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