BRIARCLIFF, NY – Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) pitched a five hit shutout as the Pace University softball team kept their hopes for a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division championship alive with a 2-0 victory against the Le Moyne Dolphins on Friday afternoon.
The Setters are now 16-20 overall, 13-9 in the NE-10, and 10-6 in the Southwest Division. Le Moyne is 23-15 in total, 13-7 in conference, and 10-6 in divisional play.
Pace got on the board in the first inning as Shelby Yung (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) singled to lead off the frame. Yung got caught off first base on a bunt attempt, but on the throw back to the bag in the rundown, the Le Moyne shortstop bounced the ball out of bounds, awarding Yung third base. Jeane Drury (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic High School) (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic) followed with a single to left to score Yung and make it 1-0 Setters.
The run proved to be huge as both pitchers were on point. McCann (10-10) turned in one of her best performances of the season striking out six batters through the first four innings and eight in the game overall. Her opposing number, Sarah Harrison (16-11) was equally as good, if not better, at one point retiring 16 consecutive hitters.
The sixth inning proved to be the turning point in the contest as in the top of the inning, Sabrina Riley singled with one out for the Dolphins. The next batter reached on an error to put runners on first and second. McCann bore down and induced a ground ball for the second out of the frame before recording a strikeout to get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Yung doubled with one out and moved to third on a single by Drury. Natalie Gellos (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) drove a ball into the centerfield gap that was hauled in on a diving catch by Riley for the second out of the inning, scoring Yung on the sac fly to push the Pace advantage to 2-0.
The two squads play a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at noon. It is Senior Day for Pace with festivities getting underway at approximately 11:50 am.