NEW HAVEN, CT- Shelby Yung (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) went 4-for-6 with five runs scored as the Setters swept the Southern Connecticut State Owls to extend their win streak to four and their sixth win in their last seven games. The Setters improve to 14-18 overall and move into a tie for second place with a 9-5 Northeast-10 Southwest Division record. The Owls fall to 11-16 and 2-8 in division play.
In the opener, Yung doubled to lead off the game and scored later in the inning on a Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) groundout. The Owls took the lead with three runs in the first and two more in the second.
Pace rallied with nine runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. In the fourth, Gellos singled and Nikole Larm (Brewster, NY/Brewster) (Brewster, NY/Brewster) drew a walk. The runners advanced on a passed ball and Samantha Garcia (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga) doubled in the runner to cut it to 5-3. In the fifth, Gellos tied the game with a two-run single and scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
The Setters added some insurance runs in the sixth as Jeane Drury (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic High School) (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic) tripled in two runs, while Gellos singled Drury in. The Owls added two runs in the sixth but Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) came on in relief to shut the door to pick up her second save of the season. Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) got the start, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits, while striking out eight to improve to 8-9 on the season.
In the nightcap, Pace again got on the board in the opening inning on an Alicia Marino (Mahopac, NY/Pleasantville) (Mahopac, NY/Pleasantville) RBI double. Southern Connecticut got two back in their half of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Drury tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the second and Gellos put the Setters up 4-2 with a double.
The Owls got a run back in the fifth but the Setters added to their lead in the sixth with four runs. Lana Buchbinder (San Francisco, CA/George Washington) (San Francisco, CA/George Washington) drove in a run with a single and Drury blasted a three-run homerun to push their lead to 8-3. The Owls added a run in the sixth but Nelson came on in relief again, tossing a scoreless inning to seal the win the Pace. Kira Knight (Benicia, CA/Benicia) got the win to improve to 1-2 as she went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out one
For the Setters, Yung went 4-for-6, while Gellos and Drury both posted six RBI in the twin bill. Gellos went 5-for-8 with two doubles, while Drury went 3-for-7 with a triple and homerun.
The Setters travel to Molloy on Friday, April 18 for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 3 pm.
