Elmira Splits at ECAC Metro-Upstate Tournament, Advances to Championship Round
Galloway, NJ -- On the first day of the ECAC Metro-Upstate Tournament, the Elmira College softball team split a pair of games to advance to Sunday's championship round of play. Elmira was unable to hold onto an early lead in game one as second seeded Stockton College defeated the Soaring Eagles 3-1. Then, in a must-win game, EC's defense stepped up in a big way to post a 1-0 shutout win against fifth seeded Fairleigh Dickinson University at Florham.
With the win in game two, Elmira will face the loser of today's other semifinal game between the top two seeded teams of Stevens Institute of Technology and Stockton College. In order for the Purple and Gold to win the ECAC Metro-Upstate Tournament title, EC must win three consecutive games. Tomorrow's game against the winners of Stevens and Stockton is slated for 11:00 a.m. in Galloway, NJ.
Game One – Stockton 3, Elmira 1
Elmira took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. The Soaring Eagles first two batters reached base safely but two quick outs brought Elmira's
Jacquelyn Heggie '16 up to the plate with little room for error. However, Heggie would hang-in tough against Stockton pitcher Michelle Pietrocola, who is 13th in the nation in strikeouts, as she smacked a two-out double to left field, driving-in
Ashley Palmer '16 for the game's opening run.
The Osprays of Stockton responded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring a pair of runs with two outs. Nicole Tomo was facing an 0-2 count with two out and no one on base, but would single up the middle, allowing the next batter, Nicole Scanlon, to smack a two-run home run over the left field wall.
Then, in the following inning, Stockton would add to their lead on a Danielle Kohen RBI single to left field, giving the Osprays a 3-1 lead. Stockton's 3-1 lead proved to be enough for starting pitcher Pietrocola as she allowed just one base runner in the following three innings to claim the victory.
Alex Puglisi '14 got the start in game one and would strike out five batters. Her five strikeouts ups her season total to 101.
Game Two – Elmira 1, FDU-Florham 0
The Soaring Eagles won a tight 1-0 game against the Devils of FDU-Florham in Elmira's second contest of the day. Elmira picked up the win the same way they have all season, with timely hitting and dominant pitching.
Katie Dore '15 led off the game with an infield single before reaching second base on passed ball, putting Dore in scoring position with no outs. Follow an out,
Megan Anderson '15 delivered a shot to left center field, scoring Dore from second base.
Elmira's one run would hold up through the rest of the game for the 1-0 victory, but not without some fight from FDU-Florham. The Devils had a chance to even things up in the bottom of the second inning but would strand a runner on third base, keeping EC out in front.
FDU-Florham would not put another runner in scoring position until the bottom of the seventh inning. Jaclyn Herrington began the seventh by working a walk but the next two FDU-Florham batters would strike out, putting Elmira just one out away from the victory.
However, things would not be that easy as Sarah Lima poked a two-out single to center field, advancing pinch-runner Jacquelyn Tartaglia to third base. With two outs and runners on the corners,
Emilie Rogers '14 would work her way out of the jam, getting the next batter to hit a soft grounder to Palmer, who would throw out the FDU-Florham batter to seal Elmira's one-run win.
Rogers struck out seven batters this afternoon to push her past the century mark in single-season strike outs with 105.