Softball Splits High-Scoring Affair With Bryant

Game 1 Box Score ǀ Game 2 Box Score

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Playing its third doubleheader in four days, the University at Albany softball team split two games with Bryant University, a team that has been a thorn in the Danes’ side for the last several years.  Bryant (19-14) took the first game 11-9, and UAlbany (16-9, 5-3) won the second 14-7.

Once again, Brittany MacFawn (8-5) took the mound for UAlbany in the first game.  She pitched four innings with two strikeouts and no walks, but gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits.  She was relieved in the top of the fifth inning by Emily Ostrom (2-3), who pitched the remaining two innings, letting up six runs (five earned) on seven hits, taking the loss.

Bryant struck first in the bottom of the first inning.  MacFawn struck out the leadoff batter, but gave up a triple to the second and a double to the third, allowing a run to score.  Bryant added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning.  The scoring started with a leadoff double, followed by a sacrifice bunt, a bunt single, and then a single up the middle.  With runners on second and third after a stolen base, Bryant drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to center field.  The runner on first advanced to second on the throw home, drawing her own throw from the catcher, which allowed another run to score.

UAlbany finally made it onto the scoreboard in the top of the third.  Maggie Cocks hit a double to center field, then Elizabeth Snow drew a walk.  With runners on first and second, Charlise Castro hit a double to left center, allowing Cocks to score.

Bryant added another run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.  But UAlbany stormed back in the top of the fifth with four runs to tie the game at five.  Kelly Costello led off the inning with a walk, and then scored on an RBI double by Cocks.  Cocks advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a Snow groundout to shortstop.  Castro was then hit by a pitch, but was thrown out at second on a Marlin Solano fielder’s choice.  Lauren Alcorn hit a single to the pitcher, pushing Solano to second.  Kate Biasi came in to pinch run for Solano.  Alexa Toole then worked a walk, loading the bases.  Jess Tate hit a single to left, driving in Biasi and Alcorn.

Bryant answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, after Ostrom relieved MacFawn on the mound.  Bryant scored twice more in the bottom of the sixth, taking a 9-5 lead heading into the final inning.  But UAlbany came back once again to tie the game.  Solano flied out to left field to start the inning.  Alcorn and Toole hit consecutive singles to right field.  Tate then hit a double to center, scoring Alcorn and advancing Toole to third.  Kayla Bailey then hit a triple to right, scoring Toole and Tate.  Costello reached on a fielder’s choice that also scored Bailey, knotting the game at 9.

Bryant prevailed, however, in the bottom of the inning, after a leadoff single and then a two-run, walk off homerun, ending the game in Bryant’s favor 11-9.  Each of the first four batters in UAlbany’s lineup, Costello, Cocks, Snow, and Castro, recorded an RBI, and Jess Tate had three RBIs of her own.  Bailey added two RBIs.  Cocks went 3-5 with two runs scored and one RBI.  Batting leadoff, Costello went 1-3 with a run scored, one RBI, and two walks.

Caitlin Cooper (2-0) started the second game for UAlbany, pitching four innings, striking out two and giving up seven runs on 10 hits.  She was relieved in the top of the fifth by MacFawn, who pitched the final three innings, allowing no runs, striking out four, and giving up three hits.

UAlbany scored first in the second game, with three runs in the top of the first.  Costello led off the game with a walk, and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Cocks singled to left field, advancing Costello to third.  Cocks moved to second on a throwing error by Bryant’s catcher, which also scored Costello.  Snow then walked, and Castro doubled to center, scoring Cocks.  Castro advanced to third on the throw home that caught Snow out at the plate.  Solano then hit a single to the pitcher, which drove in Castro.

Bryant scored one run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 3-1.  But UAlbany answered with five runs in the top of the second to further extend the lead.  Tate led off reaching first on a fielding error by Bryant’s second baseman.  She was then thrown out a third on a fielder’s choice by Bailey.  Bailey stole second and third before Costello drew a walk.  Costello stole second, and then stole third when Bailey scored on a passed ball.  Cocks then drew a walk, which knocked out Bryant’s starting pitcher.  Cocks stole second after the pitching change.  Snow lined out to shortstop, and then Castro hit a three-run home run to left.  Solano immediately followed Castro, hitting a home run of her own down the right field line, giving the Danes an 8-1 lead.

Bryant scored one run in the bottom of the second, and three in the bottom of the third, cutting the lead to 8-5.  In the top of the fourth, Solano singled to right, and advanced to second when Alcorn singled to left.  Cooper came in to pinch run for Solano, and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice by Toole.  Toole then stole second, allowing Cooper to steal home plate, extending the lead to 9-5.

In the top of the fifth, Costello singled to shortstop, and Cocks followed up with a walk.  Snow hit a single to left, that drove Costello in to score.  Bryant cut the lead to 10-7 with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but that’s as close as the Bulldogs would come.  The Danes scored three more runs in the top of the sixth.  Alcorn reached safely on a fielding error by Bryant’s shortstop, and Toole reached on a fielder’s choice to second.  Tate hit a single to right, allowing Toole to advance to third.  Bailey reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Toole and advancing Tate to second.  Costello then doubled to right-center, scoring Tate and pushing Bailey to third.  Cocks hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bailey and pushing Costello to third.

The Danes added one more run in the top of the seventh for good measure.  Alcorn drew a two-out walk, and was driven home by Toole’s triple to right field.  The Danes won the game 14-7, and scored their 14 runs on 13 hits.  Costello, batting leadoff for the second straight game, went 2-2 with three runs scored, one RBI and three walks.  Cocks also went 2-2 with two runs scored, one RBI and two walks.  Castro went 2-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs.  Solano went 3-5 with 1 run scored and two RBIs.  Each of the first five batters in the UAlbany lineup recorded an RBI in the second game.

Next up on the schedule, UAlbany will visit conference opponent Hartford for a three-game set starting Saturday, April 12 with a doubleheader, and concluding Sunday, April 13 with the third and final game in the series.  The doubleheader starts at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, and the third game starts at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.  The next home game for the Danes will be the three-game series with conference newcomer UMass-Lowell on April 26.