NEW HAVEN, Conn.- Lauren Bell (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free) blasted her team-best fourth homerun of the season as Pace took the nightcap in a twin bill split with #21 Southern Connecticut State University Owls in Northeast-10 Conference action. The Owls took game one 9-1 in six innings, while the Setters won in the second game 3-2. Pace moves to 13-3 on the season and 3-1 in the NE-10, while the Owls are now 15-3 and 3-1 in conference play.
In the opener, the Setters got their lone run in the first inning as Nicole Schultheis (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) singled and moved to second on a sac bunt. Schultheis advanced to third on a Bell single and scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic). The Owls rallied in the bottom of the inning with five runs with four coming on a grand slam homerun. Southern Connecticut added one in the fourth and three more in the sixth to take the opener.
Wright went 2-for-2 in the opener with Schultheis went 1-for-3. On the mound, Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) tossed a complete game, allowing nine runs and struck out two to fall to 3-2 on the season.
In the nightcap, Jeane Drury (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic High School) (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic) and Bell singled with one out in the first inning. Wright singled to drive in Drury as Bell moved to third on the play. Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) drove in Bell on a groundout to give Pace a 2-0 lead. Bell made it 3-0 in favor of Pace with a solo homerun in the third inning. The Owls added two runs in the fifth but Pace starter Chelsea Shea (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) closed the door and kept the Owls off the board the rest of the way.
For the game, Bell went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI for Pace. On the hill, Shea (3-1) tossed a complete game as she allowing two runs on six hits, while fanning six.
The Setters are back in action on Sunday, March 25 when they will travel to West Haven, CT for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against the University of New Haven at noon.