Despite Furious Seventh-Inning Rally, Softball Drops Two At Army
BOX ONE I BOX TWO
WEST POINT – Looking to escape a doubleheader sweep Tuesday at West Point, the University at Albany softball team rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning, but Army held off the Great Danes for a 5-4 defeat. Army also earned the win in game one, 8-3, improving to 21-22-1 on the season, while UAlbany fell to 23-13.
In the opener, all three of UAlbany's runs came in the form of solo home runs, while the Black Knights scored all eight of theirs in the fourth inning.
In the top of the first, juniors Kelly Costello and Maggie Cocks belted back-to-back homers with one out, giving the Great Danes a 2-0 head start.
However, in the fourth, Army batted around the order, taking advantage of six singles and three errors to score eight runs.
In the sixth, Liz Snow looked to get a rally going for the Danes, pulling a leadoff home run over the left field fence for UAlbany's third run of the contest. However, that would be the final run of the ballgame.
Army's Kirsten West (7-8) earned the win, relieving Rachael Dehlinger in the first.
Freshman Erynn Sobieski (7-4) took the loss, allowing eight runs (two earned) and eight hits, while striking out one in four innings. Nicole Parks held the Black Knights off the board and without a hit in the final two frames.
Costello led UAlbany at the plate, going 2-for-4.
In game two, Army took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on Kasey McCravey's three-run home run over the left field fence.
UAlbany cut the deficit to two, scoring a run in the fourth, as Cocks and Snow knocked consecutive doubles to right.
However, the Black Knights answered with a pair of runs in the sixth, as a leadoff single and walk set up McCravey's two-run single up the middle for a 5-1 advantage.
UAlbany did not surrender easily in the seventh, rallying for three runs to make it a one-run game. Lindsey Haskell sparked the rally with a leadoff single to short, and Vicky McFarland and Costello knocked back-to-back singles, bringing in one. With two outs, Snow belted her second double of the game, bringing in two. However, on Jules Holbert's single up the middle, pinch runner Jess Tate rounded third for home in an attempt to tie the game, but was thrown out at the plate to end the clash.
Freshman Devin Durando (11-4) took the loss, allowing five runs and six hits, while striking out two in six innings.
Caroline Smith (11-11) earned the win, allowing four runs and nine hits, while striking out two.
Offensively, Snow led UAlbany, going 2-for-4 with three runs batted in, while Cocks also went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Up next, the Great Danes return to America East Conference play, traveling to take on UMass Lowell Saturday and Sunday.
