MANSFIELD, Conn. – Senior first baseman Sam Rossetti (Shelton) and sophomore second baseman Gina Georgetti (Milford) drove in first-inning runs and sophomore righty Samantha Valentine (Ridge, NY) pitched into the sixth inning without allowing an earned run as the Eastern Connecticut State University softball team posted a 6-2 victory in the second game to salvage a split against Keene State College in a Little East Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Eastern Softball Stadium.
Seniors' Day photo by Jenn Shuler
In the first game, Keene State (7-9, 2-2 Little East) scored five unearned runs in the sixth after a two-out error to erase a three-run deficit on the way to a 6-3 victory over Eastern (16-4, 5-1 Little East). The Keene win was only its second in the last 13 meetings between the programs.
After junior shortstop Alyssa Hancock (Waterford) and Rossetti each doubled to give Eastern a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, Georgetti socked her third home run in the last nine games to make it 3-0, and Valentine (7-2) made them stand up with relief help from sophomore lefty Summer Cipriani (North Stonington). Valentine gave up only three hits and two unearned runs before Cipriani stranded two runners to close out the sixth and tossed a 1-2-3 seventh for her first career save.
After Keene scored two unearned runs in the fourth on two singles and an infield error, the Warriors answered with single runs in each of their final three at-bats. A single by Cipriani, infield error, walk and hit batsman accounted for the run in the fourth, sophomore pinch hitter Kristyn Ryan (Barkhamsted)'s RBI double made it 5-2 in the fifth, and junior catcher Taylor Smyth's (Meriden) single drove in Cipriani (leadoff single) with the run in the sixth.
In the first game, Eastern took an early 3-0 lead on a triple by Hancock and ground ball, a double by Georgetti and sophomore centerfielder Samantha Bardos' (Norwalk) infield single and an outfield error. Keene got one back in the fourth on freshman Brittany DaMota's (Monroe) two-out RBI single, then knocked out Eastern senior righty Erin Miller (Waterford) by scoring five unearned runs in the sixth on four hits and two Eastern errors. A throwing error with two out and two on accounted for the first run, junior centerfielder Stephanie Long (Salem, NH) put the Owls ahead with a two-run single, and after another error, No. 3 hitter Aliza Guerrero (Fairfield) made it 6-3 with an a two-run double.
Keene sophomore righty Ashlee McGan (Southampton, MA) pitched a complete-game five-hitter for her third win in four decisions. She fanned six without a walk.
Georgetti and Hancock each had three hits and scored two runs on the day.Guerreo, who left the first game briefly after being hit by a pitch in the first inning, , had three hits, as did freshman third baseman Shae Crosby (Salem). Guerrera also reached twice on hit-by-pitch.
Miller, leftfielder Shannon Martin (Wethersfield) and Rossetti were honored following the doubleheader on Seniors' Day.
Eastern hosts Massachusetts Dartmouth Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in a Little East Conference doubleheader.
