PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – On Friday, Pace University Softball opened a four-game Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) series against Southern Connecticut State University by splitting a doubleheader at home. The Setters dropped game one, 9-3, before rallying for a 6-5 walk-off victory in game two, as
Ashley Field delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. Pace moved to 16-22 overall and 8-12 in NE10 play with the split.
Game One
Southern Connecticut State took an early lead in the opening inning before the Setters answered in the second.
Madison Picerno doubled to begin the frame and later scored on an RBI single from
Katerina Luna to tie the game at 1-1.
The Owls regained the lead with two runs in the third inning before
Riley Jenkins answered in the bottom half. After
Kara King singled and
Ashley Field moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Jenkins doubled to left field to bring King home and cut the deficit to 3-2.
Southern Connecticut State added another run in the fourth to make it 4-2, and the Owls broke the game open in the sixth with five runs. The Setters answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, as Picerno walked, stole second, and eventually scored on an error.
Jenkins finished with two hits and an RBI, while Picerno scored twice. Luna,
Addison Martinez,
Aubrey Carroll, King, Field, and
Willa Poplawski each added hits in the loss.
Game Two (9 innings)
Southern Connecticut State scored twice in the second inning and added three more in the fifth to build a 5-2 lead. The Setters answered in the fourth when Carroll delivered a two-run double to score Jenkins and
Mikayla Hughes, tying the game at 2-2.
After the Owls regained control in the fifth, Pace chipped away again in the bottom half of the inning. King singled before Poplawski drove home two runs with a double down the left field line, trimming the deficit to 5-4.
The Setters tied the game in the sixth when
Faith Scally singled and later scored on an RBI single from
Nikki Chong. Pace then turned to
Priscilla Del Toro in relief, and Del Toro shut down Southern Connecticut State over the final four innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three.
Neither team scored in the seventh or eighth innings before Pace delivered in the ninth.
Ava Edmond started the inning as the placed runner and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Picerno. Jenkins drew a walk and Poplawski followed with another walk before Field lined a walk-off single to right center, scoring Edmond and securing the 6-5 victory.
King finished with three hits in game two, while Poplawski drove in two runs and Field recorded the game-winning RBI. Carroll added two RBIs, and Jenkins collected two hits in the win.
The Setters continue their four-game Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) series against Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
