KISSIMMEE, Fla.. – The No. 7 Rowan University softball team scored two runs in the sixth and walked off with a 4-3 victory after scoring a run in the seventh against Wheaton College (Mass.) this afternoon at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. as part of the Spring Games.
The Lyons slip to 3-4 on the season, while the Profs, who are ranked the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association national poll, win their third game in their last four to improve to 8-5.
Wheaton pitching held Rowan to just one run through the first five innings of the game, before the Lyons took a 3-1 lead after a three-run sixth. The Profs tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs and scored the game winner in the seventh.
Junior center fielder Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.H.) paced Wheaton at the plate, going 1-2 with a double and two runs batted in and a run scored, while first year designated player Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) was 1-3 with a run scored. Sophomore righty starting pitcher Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.) gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in six and a third innings of work.
Senior first base Cat Thomas (Pompton Plains, N.J.) was 1-4 with a two-run double, while senior catcher Kaitlyn Riggs (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) was 2-3 with a run batted in to lead Rowan. First year designated player Zara MacNair (Cinnaminson, N.J.) was 2-4 with a run scored from the top of the order. Junior right-handed starting pitcher Rylee Lutz (Mantua, N.J.) surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits to go with a pair of strikeouts, before yielding to sophomore southpaw Emily McCutcheon (Mount Ephraim, N.J.), who was credited with the win after retiring the final three batters of the seventh inning that included a strikeout.
The Profs took advantage of a wild pitch and an error to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. MacNair singled down the third base line and moved to second on a wild pitch. Junior second base Liz McCaffrey (Cranford, N.J.) hit a pop-up to second base, but the Lyons were unable to handle the play to put runners on the corners. Thomas hit a ground ball to first, but MacNair scored on the play to give Rowan the walk-off win with one out in the seventh.
Rowan used timely hitting to get on the board in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 edge. McCaffery roped a single up the middle and Thomas followed with a two-out double down the right field line to plate MacNair with the game's first run.
The Lyons also used a Profs' miscue to crack the scoring column with three runs in the top of the sixth for their only lead of the morning. Barry beat out an infield single to shortstop and junior right fielder Jillian Rohon (Southington, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice to put both runners on base with no outs. Barry and Rohon each moved into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt, before DiBacco came through with a double to left to bring both runners around to score and give Wheaton a 2-1 edge. The Lyons tacked on another run when senior shortstop Lindsey Oliveira (Westport, Mass.) reached on an error and was later thrown out at second on a steal attempt that allowed DiBacco to score from third on the play to give the Lyons a 3-1 margin.
The Profs answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to knot the score at 3-3. MacNair cracked a leadoff double to left center and Riggs immediately followed with an RBI single up the middle to pull Rowan to within 3-2. First year Hannah Bryszewski (Gloucester, N.J.) pinch ran for Riggs and was pushed to third base with a sacrifice bunt to put the tying run just sixty feet away with one out. Sophomore pinch-hitter Cami Morgan (Burlington, N.J.) plated Bryszewski with a ground out to second to make it 3-3.
The Lyons threatened to reclaim the lead in the top of the seventh when sophomore first base Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.) reached on an infield single to third, before being lifted for sophomore pinch runner Lily Platt (Hallowell, Maine), who later advanced to third base with two outs. McCutcheon, who had entered the game two batters prior, was able to get a called third strike to end the threat and the inning.
Wheaton returns to action later today when it takes on Arcadia University at 3:00 p.m., while the Profs, also play Arcadia, in the game before at 12:15 p.m.
