BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – Junior catcher
Samantha Lima (Brawley, CA/Saddleback College) hit her first home run as a Setter on Wednesday, a two-run blast that got the Pace University softball team back within a run in the third inning, but that was where the scoring ended, as Adelphi picked up the 4-3 victory in Northeast-10 Conference action at Pace Field. The Setters fall to 15-10 overall and 8-3 in NE-10 play, while Adelphi jumps to 20-11 and 10-1.
Trailing 4-1 in the third inning, Lima came to bat with sophomore designated player
Surina Sandhu (Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove High School) on first. Lima hit a laser over the left-field fence, bringing in two runs to make it a 4-3 game. However, the pitching locked down for both teams after the third, and neither team was able to score a run the rest of the way.
All of Adelphi's runs were scored in the top of the first on Wednesday. With runners on second and third, third baseman Brenna Martini singled through the left side to bring in the first run of the game. Second baseman Nicole Camera then few out to center, bringing in catcher Nicoletta Cuccio from third on the sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Designated player Megan Lewis then roped a home run to left, giving the Panthers a 4-0 lead before Pace came to bat.
The Setters took advantage of the wind to start chipping away at Adelphi's lead. Sophomore shortstop
Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North) skied a fly ball into center, which was pushed away from the center fielder by the wind, allowing Lew to hustle for a double. Junior second baseman
Haley Hernandez (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real) then flied one into right-center, where the ball was blown back toward the infield and out of the reach of the right fielder, giving Hernandez a double of her own, but forcing Lew to only take one base. Sandhu then grounded out to third, but that allowed Lew to score and make it a 4-1 game.
In the top of the sixth, senior third baseman
Victoria Quinones (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) nearly tied the game with one swing. She blasted a line drive right down the left-field line, but the umpire called it foul to bring Quinones back to the dish. Quinones then flied out to right, and the Setters were unable to bring a run across in the inning.
Lindsay Mapes got the win for Adelphi, improving to 10-6 on the season. She gave up three earned runs on six hits in the complete seven innings. Junior
Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) took the loss to fall to 6-4 on the year.
Lima finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run on her two-run homer. Lew batted 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Hernandez also went 1-for-3 with a double. Freshman first baseman
Annie Carberry (Colorado Springs, CO/Pine Creek) and sophomore center fielder
Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, CA/San Marcos High School) each hit 1-for-3. Sophomore
Jaclyn Flores (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual High School) pitched 6.2 frames in relief without allowing a run.
Adelphi was led by Lewis, who knocked in two runs with her first inning home run, eventually going 1-for-4. Martini hit 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Cuccio hit 2-for-2 with a run scored.
The Setters get back to work quickly with a doubleheader against the University of New Haven on Thursday, April 7, at Pace Field. The Northeast-10 Conference twinbill is set for a 3 p.m. start.
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