MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A day after struggling at the plate, the SUNY Poly Softball Team (0-4) started seeing the ball better with 6 runs in the first game and 5 in the second. Unfortunately the opposing teams felt inclined to take their at-bats as well, outscoring SUNY Poly 23-11 on the day.
GAME 1:
A four-run top of the fourth inning gave the Wildcats a commanding 6-2 lead. It was a short-lived advantage, however, as Dickinson responded with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-6 lead. They went on to win 11-6 as Dickinson pitcher E. Rosenberg settled down to hold the Wildcats scoreless over the final three innings.
SUNY Poly participated in its own demise with 4 errors in the game, including 2 in the big 4th inning for Dickinson.
Wildcat hurler Bridget Ashmore did an admirable job eating up innings for SUNY Poly, staying in to throw all 6. Of the 11 runs she surrendered, only 3 were earned.
In spite of the loss, the game saw the middle of the SUNY Poly lineup find its stroke. All-NEAC third baseman Krista Pristera led the way with 2 doubles, finishing 2-for-4 with 3 RBI. Right behind her in the cleanup slot was Abby Black, who also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Kiersten Albertson led the team in hits with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring a run and adding an RBI. Combined, the 2-4 hitters in the Wildcat lineup finished 7 for 12 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI.
GAME 2:
Whereas a single big inning doomed the Wildcats in the first game, the afternoon tilt featured a steady stream of runs from Ursinus College. The Bears scored in all but one of their six at-bats, and recorded multiple runs in four of those five innings. They would go on to hand the Wildcats their fourth loss by a score of 12 to 5.
The Bears out hit the Wildcats 14 to 9, as four different players finished with multiple hits for the Bears. Pitcher Zoe Heinke led with 3 RBI while going 3 for 5 at the plate, and left-fielder Casey Derella scored 4 runs on a 3-for-4 day.
As for the Wildcats, pitcher Fallon Reinold was unable to pair her best hitting performance to-date with an equal output on the mound. Reinold came out after 2 innings and 4 runs, although as Ashmore before her, Reinold was victimized by the team's defense – only one run for Reinold was earned. That didn't affect the speedy lefty at the plate, however, as the leadoff hitter led the Wildcats with 3 hits on 4 at-bats, including a team-high 2 RBI. Reinold had two doubles, as Pristera recorded the only other extra-base hit for SUNY Poly, also a double.