Rindge, N.H. – The Adelphi University softball team defeated Southern New Hampshire University, 5-2, on Thursday afternoon, as the offense rallied for five runs in the sixth inning to come back and secure a victory in the Northeast 10 Conference tournament.
Series History:
- Adelphi held the season series lead, 3-1, entering the matchup.
- Prior to today's game, the programs had faced off 32 times dating back to the 2010 season.
- Adelphi (35-19, 27-9 NE10) is now 24-9 all-time against the Penmen (31-20, 22-13 NE10).
Highlights:
- Jenna Plue threw a complete game, striking out 10 while recording her 19th win of the season, the most among NE10 pitchers.
- Emma Priest, Kaitlyn Klepper and Maddy Moore each recorded RBI doubles in the win, with Klepper's eventually standing as the game-winner.
- Jaylen Wright delivered the game-tying RBI hit while also scoring a run.
- Tori Parente tripled to ignite the late rally and came around to score.
How it Happened:
- It was a pitcher's duel from the start, with Plue and Julianna Colbert — the two pitchers tied for the most wins in the conference entering the game — holding each offense to just one hit apiece through five innings.
- Plue worked around a first-inning single, along with walks in the second and fourth innings, to keep the Penmen scoreless through five.
- In the bottom of the fifth, Makayla Comer nearly broke the scoreless tie with a deep fly ball to left-center field, but SNHU's left fielder made a highlight-reel catch against the fence to keep the game knotted at zero.
- The Penmen broke through in the sixth inning. Following a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt, a single into right-center field put runners on the corners. A groundout to the right side plated the first run of the game, followed by two more free passes helped SNHU extend its lead.
- Adelphi responded in the top of the sixth, putting together a five-run rally to take control. After Tori Parente legged out a triple, Priest cut the deficit in half with an RBI double to left-center field. Jaylen Wright then ripped a single into right-center to score Priest and tie the game.
- The Panthers' offense did not stop there, as Klepper and Moore smacked back-to-back RBI doubles to give Adelphi a two-run advantage. After Emily Wolfe entered as a pinch runner for Moore, a deep flyout off the bat of Faith Wagner allowed Wolfe to tag and score from second, extending the lead to 5-2.
- Plue closed the door in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning, as the Panthers completed the comeback victory.
Up Next:
- Head Coach Katie Apostolopoulos and the Panthers return to the diamond on Friday, May 8, during NE10 Championship Weekend. Adelphi will face Assumption University at 2:30 p.m. on the campus of Franklin Pierce University in the double-elimination tournament. The Panthers are now just one win away from the championship game.
