BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – Junior starter
Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) allowed just one hit to lead the Pace University softball team to a 2-0 shutout victory over American International College (AIC) Friday afternoon at Pace Field. The Setters improve to 23-13 overall and 16-6 in the NE-10, while AIC drops to 16-20 and 9-13. The Setters also move to 11-5 in the Southwest Division, leaving them half a game away from clinching the No. 2 seed in the division and a bye into the semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tournament.
Nelson went the complete seven innings, giving up just one hit without a run for her sixth shutout of the season. She improves to 9-5 after striking out eight batters. She now has a 1.99 ERA in 102 innings, and has struck out 92 batters this season.
The Setters got things started in their first at bat of the game. After Nelson shut the Yellow Jackets down in order in the first, Pace rallied to bring in the first two runs of the game. Sophomore shortstop
Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North) led off with a single to center, and then proceeded to steal both second and third. After junior second baseman
Haley Hernandez (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real) walked, the Setters attempted a double steal, resulting in Lew scoring on an error to take the first lead of the game. In the same at bat, sophomore designated player
Surina Sandhu (Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove High School) nearly homered to left, but it was long enough to bring in Hernandez on a sacrifice fly, putting Pace up, 2-0.
AIC right fielder Jenna Costa walked to open the fourth, and then the skies opened up, causing a 30-minute rain delay. Once the game continued, the next two batters walked, loading the bases without an out. Nelson got the next batter to hit a grounder to third, making for an easy force-out at the plate for the first out. She then struck out the next two batters to escape trouble without any damage.
Lew hit 1-for-3 with a run scored and a pair of stolen bases in the win. Sophomore right fielder
Jordan Chillinsky (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad High School) batted 1-for-2. Hernandez and Sandhu each went 0-for-1, but Sandhu had an RBI, and Hernandez scored the run.
AIC starter Alyssa Camargo pitched well, but took the loss to fall to 8-10. She went six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks. Designated player Kaley Kempf picked up the only hit for the Yellow Jackets, going 1-for-3.
The Setters and Yellow Jackets will play two more games tomorrow, April 23, at Pace Field. The Setters will celebrate Senior Day before game one, honoring
Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) and
Victoria Quinones (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) prior to the day's events. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12:30 p.m.
For all information regarding Pace University softball, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (
T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics) and follow Pace Softball on Twitter (
@Pace_Softball).
