Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. -- A six-run second inning gave the Adelphi University softball team just enough insurance in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinal meeting against the Stonehill College Skyhawks on Friday afternoon, as the Panthers held on for a 7-5 final on the campus of Pace University. 

A two-run single from Brenna Martini -- which tied her for the program's single-season RBI record with 57 -- came in the middle of Adelphi's six-run second inning, in which the Panthers (29-19) batted around; in the inning, Christina Palmenteri and Nicoletta Cuccio also drove in a run. The Panthers stroked three hits and took advantage of two Skyhawk miscues in the second frame, and scored another run in the fourth on an RBI single by Nicole Camera. Krista King and Stephanie Staiano each went 2-4 at the plate for multiple-hit days, while King scored two runs at the top of the lineup.

After the Panthers stranded King at first when she singled to lead off the game, their bats came alive in the second inning. Megan Lewis led off with a double, which barely missed clearing the right field fence for a home run, and Adelphi eventually loaded the bases with one out after Danielle Cutuli walked and Fallon McCarthy reached on an error. Palmenteri then singled to right to plate the first run, before Cuccio worked out a bases-loaded walk with two down to extend the lead to 2-0.

Martini then stroked a single to left to plate two more, and took second on the throw which plated Cuccio to make it 5-0. From there, Martini came around to score when Skyhawks' starter Sarah Ropiak threw the ball away when trying to get Camera at first base. Finally, Lewis returned to the plate and flew out to finally end the inning, but not before damage was done. 

Lindsay Mapes kept the Skyhawks off the board in the bottom of the frame, as she worked around a dropped fly ball and a single -- eventually getting out of the inning by getting Jacklyn Oleksak to pop out into a double play.

Adelphi's seventh run came around in the fourth, as King singled and ended up on third courtesy of a throwing error as Martini reached on the fielder's choice. From there, Camera singled to second to plate King and make it 7-0, but Megan Ruonavaara came in to get the next two hitters.

The Skyhawks (23-17) weren't about to go down easy, however, as they scored a combined five unearned runs in the fourth and fifth innings off Kristin Fealy in relief, as they took advantage of a total of four Adelphi defensive errors. With the tying runs on base in the fifth and two outs, however, Fealy got the biggest out of the day for the Panthers as she struck out Ruonavaara swinging to end the inning with Adelphi clinging to a 7-5 lead. 

Although Adelphi stranded a runner in scoring position in both the top of the sixth and seventh, Mapes returned to close out what she started, and retired all six batters she faced in the final two innings to get the win and send Adelphi into the semifinals against the top-seeded and host Setters.

Due to weather concerns, the semifinals and championship will take place at Pace tomorrow. The Panthers and Setters will contest the second semifinal at 1 pm, following the other semifinal of Le Moyne vs. Southern New Hampshire at 10:30 am. The championship will be played at 3 pm.

NOTES
- With two RBIs today, Martini tied the single-season record (57) -- set by current assistant coach Victoria Wink ('15) -- in 2013.
- The Panthers went 3-0 vs. the Setters in the regular season.
- Adelphi is looking to return to the NE-10 Championship game for the second year in a row, after falling to Southern New Hampshire last year.

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About Adelphi University Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009 and in the past six seasons has collected 16 regular season conference titles, 21 tournament championships, 27 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 President's Cup twice (2013 and 2014), while winning five NCAA Division II National Championships.

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