BRIARCLIFF, N.Y.- The Pace softball team dropped a doubleheader to the Golden Knights of the College of Saint Rose 7-5 in the opener and 8-7 in the nightcap. The Setters fall to 8-8 on the season and 1-5 in the Northeast-10 Southwest Division, while the Golden Knights improve to 4-13 and 2-3 in division play.
The teams traded runs in the opening inning as Jeane Drury (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic High School) (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic) led off with a walk. She moved to second on a groundout, stole third and scored on the overthrow. The Golden Knights tacked on four runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead.
Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) got a run back for Pace in the third with an RBI double but the Golden Knights added a run in the fourth. The Setters rallied with two runs in the fourth as Hana Wright (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) (Hillsboro, OR/Valley Catholic) led off the inning with a homerun. Marissa Cerniglia (Emerson, NJ/Emerson) (Emerson, NJ/Emerson) pulled Pace to within two runs with a run scoring single to make it 6-4. In the next inning, Wright made the score 6-5 with an RBI double but Saint Rose added a run in the sixth to take game one 7-5.
Wright and Cerniglia both went 2-for-3 in the opener for Pace. Drury (0-1) got the start, going seven innings, allowing seven runs (two earned) on 10 hits, while striking out two.
In the nightcap, the Setters struck first as Samantha Garcia (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) doubled in the first run in the opening inning. Saint Rose rallied with three runs in the second and two more in the third for a 5-1 lead. Pace plated three in the third as Drury led off with a walk and Gellos blasted a two-run homerun. Pace added another run in the inning to pull to within a run at 5-4.
The teams each scored a run in the fourth as Cerniglia kept the Setters with a run at 6-5 with a run scoring single. The Golden Knights pushed out to a 7-5 lead with a run in the fifth but Katie Lange (Upland, CA/St. Lucy's Priory) (Upland, CA/St. Lucy's Priory) pulled Pace even at seven with a two-run single. The Golden Knights plated the go-ahead run in the sixth to take game two 8-7.
Gellos went 4-for-5 in the nightcap with three runs scored, while Wright (2-for-4) and Lange (2-for-3) were key contributors on offense.
Kelly Fisher (Castle Rock, CO/Douglas County) (Castle Rock, CO/Douglas County) got the start, going four innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits and struck out three. Chelsea Shea (Babylon, NY/West Babylon) came on in relief, allowing two runs on five hits and struck out one to fall to 4-4 on the season.
The Setters host New Haven for an NE-10 Southwest Division match-up on Tuesday, April 2 at 4 pm at Pace Field on the Briarcliff campus.
