PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Sophomore
Nikole Larm went 2-3 with a trio of RBIs to help the Setters defeat Holy Family 4-3 in the opener of a doubleheader on Wednesday. After dropping the second game, Pace stands at 20-13 while the Tigers sit at 14-12.
Kaitlynn Nelson started on the hill for the Setters and was solid early on. She retired the side in order in the bottom of the first, forcing a pair of pop ups while fanning a batter. Nelson didn't allow a hit until the third frame.
Pace wasted no time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first inning, leadoff hitter
Shelby Yung cranked a single through the right side of the infield. Freshman
Larissa Labs came up next and belted an infield single to short, giving the Setters runners at first and second. After
Jeane Drury moved the runners over on a SAC bunt, Larm came up with the key hit in the frame when she blasted a two-run single up the middle to put Pace out in front.
The Setters tacked on another run in the third inning. Freshman
Ashley Lew drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt, and swiped third base. After a
Jordan Chillinsky walk gave Pace runners at the corners, Yung came through with a SAC fly that plated Lew and gave the Setters a 3-0 lead.
Nelson surrendered one run and a pair of hits in the third, but settled down again in the fourth when she shut the Tigers down in order. Then again in the fifth, she retired three straight batters behind a strikeout and a pair of foul outs.
The Setters stretched the lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning. Chillinsky led off the inning with a base hit that was followed by a Yung walk. Three batters later, it was Larm again this time delivering a single to center field that scored another Pace run.
After Holy Family cut the deficit to 4-3 in the seventh inning, senior
Caitlin McCann came in to pitch in the seventh inning. After allowing a one-out single, she forced the next batter to hit into a double play, ending the game.
Larm finished the day with a 2-3 mark at the plate, adding three RBIs. Yung went 1-1 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI while Labs went 1-3 with two runs scored. Lew went 2-2 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.
Nelson (7-5) picked up the win after tossing six innings while allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out a pair. McCann picked up her second save of the season after pitching the final inning and holding the Tigers scoreless.
During the late game, the Setters plated the first run of the game in the second inning. After a
Natalie Gellos walk gave Pace the bases loaded, freshman
Tara Bernstein sent a sacrifice fly to right field to score the game's first run.
The Setters struck again in the fourth frame. With the score tied at 1-1,
Amanda Limon drew a leadoff walk. After a Gellos walk and a single by Bernstein, Yung knocked in the go-ahead run with a SAC fly to right field.
Holy Family pulled ahead by one run in the top of the seventh until the Setters tied the game to force extras. Drury drew a leadoff walk, and advanced to second on a SAC bunt. Senior
Hana Wright took the plate next and blasted an RBI single to center field that plated Drury and forced extra innings.
The Tigers scored a run in the top of the eighth and eventually held on to win the contest 4-3.
Bernstein went 2-3 with an RBI while Wright went 1-2 with an RBI and a pair of walks. Yung drove in the final RBI.
Jaclyn Flores got the started and tossed three innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with one strikeout. McCann tossed four innings of relief and allowed two runs on eight hits. Nelson (7-6) closed out the final inning and allowed one run on three hits.
The Setters return to the diamond on Friday, April 24
th when they host Dominican for a doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.
