April 23, 2009

Game One|Game Two

Garden City, N.Y. - Senior Samantha Johnston hit the game-tying and game-winning base-hits in the nightcap, to complete the Panthers double dip over the Purple Knights, 1-0 and 4-3 in extra innings. With the two wins, Adelphi improves to 28-12 on the season and 12-4 in East Coast Conference play, while Bridgeport falls to 11-22, 4-8 in league action.

Game One
Junior Rochelle Noren hit the game-winning RBI single up the middle to score Johnston in the top of the fifth inning in the opening game of the doubleheader to carry Adelphi to a 1-0 victory. Noren finished game one 2-for-4 with 1 RBI.

Junior Christine Robinson pitched a complete game shutout allowing five hits, one walk, and striking out five to improve her record to 11-6 on the season.

The Panthers survived two golden opportunities for the Purple Knights to put some runs on the board. With Adelphi leading 1-0, in the bottom of the fifth with runners on the corners as Nicole Steiner hit a ground ball that senior Kristin Brennan charged, and threw a bullet to senior Angela Martin as she swiped the tag on sophomore Katie Horton for the second out of the inning. Robinson struck out Montanaro swinging to end the threat.

Bridgeport had a chance to put the first run of the game in the bottom of the third as Steiner was on third base with one out. Robinson induced Montanaro to foul out to Martin and forced senior Ashley DiGeroge to fly out to Brophy.

Game Two
In the top of the night inning tied at 3-3, Johnston blasted the ball to left center as Bridgeport's center fielder Ashley DiGeorge, made a sliding attempt, but came up short as the ball rolled out of her glove and allowed junior Katie Brophy to score the game-winning run. Brophy led the frame off with a double to left center. Martin, who earlier in the top of the seventh scored the game-tying run, recorded a sacrifice fly to right field to move Brophy up 60 feet.

Adelphi trailed 2-0 entering the top of the seventh, Brennan doubled to left center to start the rally. With two outs, Martin on a one-ball, two-strike count, hit a sharp liner to left center and slid feet first just under junior Melissa Montanaro's tag as Brennan scored, to cut the Purple Knights lead to one, 2-1. Johnston was primed and ready as she stepped to the plate and smoked the ball threw the right side for a RBI single to score Martin to tie the game at 2-2.

The Panthers took a 3-2 advantage into the bottom of the eight inning, as the Purple Knights came back with a run of its own. Senior Amanda Wentz scored off a Panthers' error to force the game to go an extra session.

Johnston finished 2-for-5 with two RBI's while Brennan went 3-for-3 with one run scored.

The Purple Knights scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and the bases full, Steiner hit a dribbler down the third base line to score sophomore Katie Horton. Bridgeport added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth as Steiner hit a sacrifice RBI to score Wentz.

Sophomore Leighann Bell improved her record to 12-4 as she pitched a complete game, allowed eight hits, two earned runs, walked two, and struck out six.

The Panthers will travel to Worchester, Massachusetts on Saturday, April 25, to take on Assumption College in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m.