KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Husson University softball team scored six of their nine combined runs in the seventh inning or later during Friday's doubleheader sweep against Calvin University and Roger Williams University, as it defeated Calvin 4-3 and bested Roger Williams in a 5-4 walk-off in eight innings to conclude its participation in the 2024 Spring Games.
GAME 1:
Husson (8-4) tallied three runs over the course of the sixth and seventh innings after falling behind 3-1 to Calvin (6-1) and closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh to hand the Knights their first loss of the season.
Calvin drew first blood in its first turn at-bat after limiting the Eagles to the minimum three batters in the top-half of the first. The Knights took advantage of a wild pitch from sophomore Emily Rerick with runners on second and third and took a 1-0 lead early on.
Husson evened the game back up in the fourth inning, as sophomore Morgan Curtis gave the Eagles a leadoff base runner after being hit by a pitch. Curtis would advance to second on a left-side single from junior Kiara McLeod and would score two batters later after freshman Josie Cornell reached base due to an error from the Calvin shortstop.
The Eagles entered their second-to-last turn at-bat trailing 3-1 and were in search of an offensive spark. Graduate student Katie Raymond did just that as she led off the inning with a single and would be moved into scoring position the following at-bat after a groundout from Curtis. Husson would have two runners in scoring position after McLeod singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw. After junior Tori Exel was hit by a pitch to load the bases, sophomore Tayler Watterson would take an RBI-walk to bring the Eagles to within one run.
Husson managed to hold the Knights scoreless in the home-half of the sixth and flipped a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead in its final chance at the plate. The Eagles would load the bases for a second-straight inning after a single from junior Bulla McCabe, in addition to sophomore Jordan Lambert reaching base due to an error and Curtis being hit by another pitch. McLeod would reach on a fielder's choice that tied the game up when senior Jess Pomerleau, who pinch ran for McCabe, crossed the plate. Husson would take possession of the lead when Exel was hit by a pitch for a second-consecutive inning, allowing Lambert to touch home.
Freshman Ana Lang survived surrendering a leadoff baserunner in the bottom-half of the inning and allowed the Eagles to come away with the win.
McLeod led the way offensively, as she tallied two of Husson's four hits in the contest, while Raymond and McCabe posted the other base-knocks.
Rerick lasted six innings in the contest, allowing nine hits and three earned runs, while sending one Calving batter down on strikes, in addition to earning her second win of the season in the circle. Lang recorded her second save of her freshman campaign, as she set down two of her three retired batters on strikes in the final inning.
GAME 2:
Much like it did in game one, the Eagles overcame a late-game deficit to come away with a 5-4, walk-off victory against Roger Williams (1-1) in their final game of the 2024 Spring Games.
Similarly to game one, Husson found itself in a hole, as after two innings of scoreless play the Hawks found pay-dirt in the form of a three-run third inning behind four hits.
The Eagles shaved one of those runs off their deficit in the home-half of the fourth. Senior Olivia McCarty led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI-groundout courtesy of senior Julia Gregoire, after previously advancing to third on a groundout from Exel. Roger Williams added a run back on to its lead in the top of the seventh after a Husson error placed a Hawk runner in scoring position.
Entering their final chance at the plate trailing by three, the Eagles got some traffic on the bases with one out in the form of a bunt-single from Pomerleau. After moving up 60-feet on a passed ball, Pomerleau was sent home by freshman Camryn King on a single up the middle.
Raymond would keep the train moving after taking a walk the following at-bat to place runners on first and second. Both runners would advance two bases during the ensuing at-bat from McCarty on back-to-back passed balls to bring the deficit to 4-3. McCarty would send the game to extra-innings after she plated Raymond on an RBI-fielder's choice.
Husson managed to keep the Hawks off the scoreboard in the top-half of the eighth inning, even with the ghost runner placed on second base. The Eagles took advantage of their ghost runner to start the bottom of the inning, as McLeod advanced Gregoire to third on a fielder's choice. Pomerleau would deliver the game-winning blow as she sent Gregoire home on a second-straight fielder's choice and allowed Husson to walk it off for a third time during the Spring Games.
King posted a two-hit outing to lead the Eagles at the plate, while four other Husson batters added one hit each (McCarty, McCabe, Exel and Pomerleau), with McCarty and King recording extra-base hits in the win.
Lang tallied her second win as a member of the green and gold, pitching eight innings, allowing eight hits and four runs (three earned), while striking out 13 batters.
The Eagles will return to New England and will be back in action next Saturday afternoon when they travel to Boston, Mass. to take on Simmons University in a doubleheader. Game one of this non-conference doubleheader is set for Noon.
