Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3
Eastern Conn. 9, Ripon College 6
U. of Chicago 6, Eastern Conn. 5 (8 inn./TB)
U. of Scranton 6, Eastern Conn. 0 (6 inn.) (completion of Monday's game)


CLERMONT, Fla. – The Eastern Connecticut State University softball team scored twice after there were two out in the seventh inning to force extra innings, but the Warriors were walked off for the third time this year when the University of Chicago pushed across the winning run in the eighth inning in a 6-5 victory Wednesday afternoon at Hancock Park.

In the first game of the day, Eastern (2-4) erased an early three-run deficit by scoring seven times on ten hits in its final two at-bats and first-year pitcher Michaella Bowen (Hudson, NH) pitched 4+ innings of relief for her first win in a 9-6 win over Ripon College (1-6).

The Warriors concluded the afternoon by completing a six-inning, 6-0 loss to the University of Scranton (6-2). The game was halted by lightning on Monday with Eastern batting in the bottom of the second and trailing, 4-0.

Eastern Conn. 9, Ripon College 6

Michaella Bowen entered the game while the Red Hawks were scoring twice in the second inning to take a 5-2 lead, but shut them down on four hits and a walk over 4 1/3 innings, and Eastern scored three runs in the fifth on four hits and four more in the sixth on six of its total of 12 hits in the game.First-year third baseman Sam Healy (Cranston, RI) opened the fifth with a solo home run that made it 5-3 and senior leadoff hitter Maddi Sauve (Mansfield) also doubled in a run to help the Warriors tie the game.

Trailing 6-5, the Warriors went ahead for good in the sixth with four runs. Eastern loaded the bases without an out when senior first baseman Maggie Rubeck (Easthampton, MA), Healy and junior infielder Lily Kenefick (Southington) all singled, and sophomore infielder Reagan Lalor (Danbury) tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Sauve's second RBI double in two innings made it 7-6, sophomore outfielder Kaley Laird (Bristol) made it 8-6 with a suicide squeeze and No. 3 hitter, first-year pitcher Elizabeth Mitchell (Coventry) made it 9-6 with a single to center.

U. of Chicago 6, Eastern Conn. 5 (8 inn./TB)

Mitchell pitched a complete-game eight-hitter and the Warriors rallied for two runs after there were two out and none on in the top of the seventh inning to force extra innings. With Eastern down to its final strike, Lalor singled on a 3-2 pitch to keep the Warriors alive, and sophomore outfielder Julia Boya (Coventry)  tied it with a long triple to left-center that sent Lalor home, and scored the tying run herself when the throw to third was off target.

Mitchell stranded two runners on base in the top of the seventh, and utilizing the international tie-breaker rule to start the eighth, Eastern stranded the go-ahead run on third, and Chicago (6-6) won it without a hit in the bottom of the eighth when an infield ground ball to short plated pinch runner Brianna Leech from third.

Batting eighth and ninth in the lineup, Lalor and Boya each had two of the team's seven hits and each scored a run and drove in a run.

U. of Scranton 6, Eastern Conn. 0 (completion of Monday's game)

On Monday, the Royals scored four times on three walks, two hits and a sacrifice fly and Eastern was unable to climb out of the hole after play resumed Wednesday with a runner on second with one out with Eastern batting in the bottom of the first inning.

Freshman righty Emma Douglas fired a three-hit shutout for Scranton, strikeout out seven and walking two and facing only five hitters over the limit. For the Warriors, Laird reached on a bunt single and stole second in the first inning Monday, but died on third when Douglas got a fly ball to center and swinging strikeout to end the threat.

Down 5-0, Eastern induced both of Douglas' walks in the third but stranded both runners and stranded two more in the fourth after junior catcher Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH) and Rubeck opened with singles, Douglas wiggled out of the jam with two strikeouts.

Three-game wrapup

In three games on the day, Eastern turned six double plays, three coming against Chicago, and also had five sacrifice bunts. Boya, Rubeck, Mitchell and Sauve all had three hits, with Mitchell driving in three runs and Lalor and Sauve two each. Sauve scored four runs, Boya and Healy three each.

Upcoming

Thursday at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Compex at Leesburg, FL, Eastern faces Endicott College at 10:45 a.m. and McDaniel College at 1 p.m. The Warriors close out the trip Friday at Hancock Park against Hope College at 2 p.m. and the University of New England at 4:30 p.m. Eastern opens at home Tuesday, hosting Springfield College in a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Clyde Washburne Field.