NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.- Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) went 4-for-8 with two homeruns and five RBI's as the Setters split a doubleheader with the Warriors of Merrimack College. The Setters took the opener 6-2, while Merrimack won game two 7-5. Pace is now 21-11 overall and 9-9 in the Northeast-10, while the Warriors stand at 10-17 and 4-11 in conference play.
In the opener, Pace got on the board in the opening inning as Lauren Bell (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) (New Windsor, NY/Newburgh Free) walked and scored on a Wright two-run homerun. The Setters added a pair of runs in the third as Sabrina Gonzalez (Oxnard, CA/Ventura College) (Oxnard, CA/Ventura College) and Bell walked, while Wright singled to load the bases. Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch, while Samantha Garcia (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) drove in Bell with a groundout.
Merrimack answered in the fourth inning as they pushed across a pair of runs to cut the Pace lead to 4-2. The Setters added some insurance runs in the sixth as they used the long ball to score two runs. Garcia and Chelsea Shea (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) posted back-to-back solo homeruns with one out the put the Setters ahead 6-2. Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) tossed six innings, as she allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out four to improve to 7-2 on the season. Kayla Hill (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison High School) (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison) came on for the final inning and retired all three batters that she faced.
In the nightcap, Gonzalez led off the game with a solo homerun to give Pace a 1-0 lead. The Warriors answered in the bottom of the first with six runs to take a 6-1 lead. The Setters chipped away as Nicole Schultheis (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) singled and Bell walked with two outs in the third inning. Wright blasted her second homerun of the day as Pace pulled to within 6-4. The Setter added a run in the fourth Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) doubled as eventually came around to score on an error. Merrimack added a run in the fifth on a solo homerun as the Warriors took game two 7-5.
On the hill, Kelly Fisher (Castle Rock, CO/Douglas County) started, going 1/3 of an inning, allowing six runs (four earned) on two hits and struck out one to fall to 2-4 on the season. Shea came on in relief as tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and struck out four.
The Setters are back in action on Wednesday, April 11 when Pace will travel to Springfield, MA for a Northeast-10 Conference twin bill against American International at 3 pm.
