By Michael Otero
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Rain postponed the softball team’s doubleheader against Dominican College for 24 hours and in those make-up games, the Pioneers suffered a 5-6 loss and a 1-1 tie from Brookville, N.Y.
The Pioneers fell behind the eight-ball early on and trailed Dominican College by three runs after the first inning. Looking to respond, the Pioneers cut the deficit to 3-2 thanks to a misplay in the field by Dominican College which plated sophomore outfielder Samantha Marrone and freshman infielder Leah Mele.
Two innings later, the Pioneers tied the game and took the lead. Senior designated hitter Paige Swantek drove in a run on an RBI double and later came around to score on a passed ball. The Chargers, down by a run in their final turn at-bat, scored two runs to take the lead and put the pressure on the Pioneers.
The Pioneers had a chance though to tie the game. In their half of the seventh inning, the Pioneers extended the match on a game-tying two-base hit from senior third baseman Maria Palmeri. The joy was short lived however, as the Chargers won the game on an RBI single in the thirteenth inning.
Freshman hurler Hannah Olshevski was tagged with the loss, going two innings, giving up five hits and one run. The starter for the game was junior Ashley Martin and she allowed five runs and struck out eight in 11 innings of work.
In the second game, the Pioneers and Chargers battled to a 1-1 tie after the match was called at the commencement of nine innings by umpires because of darkness.
The Pioneers lone run came in the sixth frame when Marrone brought home sophomore outfielder Jaclyn Hahn on a single. In the Chargers do-or-die seventh inning, they came back with a two-out RBI single tying the contest and sending it into extra innings.
Olshevski, who pitched earlier in the day, went all nine innings and allowed seven hits and one run while punching out a pair.
Due to a mix of rain and snow, the Pioneers Saturday, April 9 double-header against Pace University was cancelled and will not be made up. The Pioneers returned to the field on Sunday, April 10, for a double-dip against Southern New Hampshire University. The no. 25 ranked Penmen were handed two loses by the Green and Gold.
Led by the right arm of Martin, the Pioneers inked a ‘W’ in the first game. Martin went the full seven innings, allowing four hits, zero runs and fanning five batters. The Pioneer runs came curtesy of a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning which plated Mele and a single by Swantek that gave the Pioneers an insurance run they wouldn’t need.
The Pioneers continued their stellar play in the second game against the Penmen as well. This time, led by Olshevksi, (who too went the distance), the Pioneers earned a 6-4 victory.
Freshman first baseman Ashley Melendez provided half the offense for the Pioneers with a three-run shot to dead centerfield in the bottom of the second inning. Mele contributed with the stick as well, knocking in two runs on a single in the fourth inning to pad the Pioneer led at the time to 5-2.
The Penmen didn’t go down without a fight though, as they scored two runs in their last frame, but came up two runs shy. Olshevski struck out two in her seven innings and scattered seven hits while surrendering four runs; earning her twelfth victory of the season.
Head Coach Jamie Apicella and his team are back in action on Thursday, April 14, when they host Molloy College for a double-header. First-pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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