BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – Junior starter Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) got through 6.1 innings without giving up a hit, eventually still earning a shutout victory in game one of Sunday's Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against Assumption College. She led Pace to a 3-0 win in the opener, and the Setters kept the momentum rolling for a 5-4 conquest in game two for a sweep in their home and conference opener. Pace moves to 7-5 overall and 2-0 in NE-10 play with the wins, while the Greyhounds drop to 4-13-1 on the year and 1-4-1 in conference matchups.
 
Game 1: Pace 3, Assumption 0
Nelson was dominant throughout Sunday's first game, especially in the first few innings. After walking the first batter of the game, she struck out the next five batters she faced. Through three innings, Nelson already had seven strikeouts and was yet to give up a hit.
 
In the bottom of the third, sophomore shortstop Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North) led off the inning with a bunt single, and moved all the way over to third on an error by the third baseman. The Setters were unable to bring her in, keeping the game scoreless through three.
 
Both teams went down in order in the fourth, but Assumption put a runner on base with two away in the fifth. Nelson allowed her second walk of the game, and let the runner move up to second on a wild pitch, but that was as far as she went as Nelson struck out her eighth batter of the game to end the frame.
 
Freshman first baseman Annie Carberry (Colorado Springs, CO/Pine Creek) opened the home half of the fifth with a double to left. She moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt, and was went to score on a fly ball in foul territory in deep left field. What would have been an easy sacrifice fly was dropped by the left fielder, resulting in a foul ball instead of a run for the Setters. Lew was unable to get the run in, and Pace finished up the inning yet to score a run.
 
The Greyhounds put two runners on in the sixth after a walk and a dropped line drive. But with two on and one down, Nelson got the next two batters to pop up to short, once again keeping Assumption scoreless.
 
Pace finally broke it open with a two-out rally in its next at bat. With sophomore designated player Surina Sandhu (Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove High School) on first, sophomore left fielder Tara Bernstein (Glen Oaks, NY/Bayside High School) drew a walk. Senior third baseman Victoria Quinones (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) then came through with a single to left, bringing in Sandhu to give Pace the first run of the game. Now with runners on second and third, Carberry roped a single through the right side, clearing the bases to give the Setters a 3-0 lead.
 
Still having not allowed a hit, Nelson opened the seventh with a strikeout. She walked the next batter, and then the no-hitter ended on a single up the middle by right fielder Christina Caira. Left fielder Marissa Gifford then singled to center, loading the bases and putting the leading run at the plate for Assumption. Catcher Cassie Schultz then blooped what looked like it would be a hit into short-center field, but Lew came diving over from shortstop to make the play. She quickly flipped it up to sophomore center fielder Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, CA/San Marcos High School), who came running in from center on the play, and she was able to get the ball over to third base, where Assumption's runner was yet to return, forcing her out for a game-ending double play.
 
Nelson finished with nine strikeouts in the complete-game shutout, improving her season record to 4-1. Greyhound starter Kendal Roy shouldered the loss, falling to 4-4 after yielding three runs on seven hits across six frames.
 
Quinones hit 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI and a run scored. Carberry also went 2-for-3, knocking in two runs and also stroking a double. Sandhu batted 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Caira and Gifford picked up the only hits of the game for the Greyhounds, going 1-for-2 and 1-for-3, respectively.
 
 
Game 2: Pace 5, Assumption 4
Game two got off to a much different start than the previous contest. In the top of the first, second baseman Ashley Abad doubled with a runner on second to bring in the first run of the game with just one out. Abad advanced to third on the play, and managed to score on a wild pitch during the next at bat to give the Greyhounds a 2-0 lead.
 
Labs opened the bottom of the first by being hit by a pitch, and then moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sandhu singled into left to put runners on the corners, and then the Setters executed a double steal to bring in Labs from third and cut the deficit in half.
 
Bernstein tied the game for Pace in the home half of the second, smacking a double down the left-field line to plate Carberry from second. Lew then got on after a dropped pop up by the shortstop, scoring Bernstein to give Pace a 3-2 lead. Lew later scored on a double to right-center by junior second baseman Haley Hernandez (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real), and Hernandez then came around to score on a single by Sandhu, leaving Pace up, 5-2, after two.
 
The game went silent until the top of the sixth, when Assumption loaded the bases without an out. Sophomore Jaclyn Flores (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual High School) came on in relief of senior starter Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) during the inning, and faced the daunting task of trying to work her way out of trouble. She got things going by striking out a batter to get the first out. She then forced a ground ball right back to the circle, where Flores tossed home to junior catcher Samantha Lima (Brawley, CA/Saddleback College), who then turned and threw to first for the inning-ending double play.
 
Flores ran into trouble again in the seventh. Caira singled to open the inning, but Flores fanned the next two batters. Abad kept the inning going with a single up the middle, and then shortstop Kayli Moniz doubled to deep center, bringing in two runs to cut Pace's lead to just one. Flores kept her composure, and struck out the next batter on a change-up to end the game.
 
McCann went five innings, allowing just two runs and striking out five to pick up the win and improve to 1-3. Flores earned her first save of the year, striking out four batters in two innings. Assumption's Jess Underwood took the loss, falling to 0-4 after yielding four runs (two earned) in 1.1 innings.
 
Sandhu hit 2-for-3 once again with an RBI. Hernandez and Bernstein matched by each going 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run and a double.
 
Abad hit 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI for Assumption. Moniz batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a double.
 
After two big wins, the Setters get Monday off before hitting the road to take on the University of New Haven in another NE-10 contest on Tuesday, March 22. First pitch for the single game is set for 4 p.m.
 
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