Softball Splits On Day Two Of Green & Gold Classic, Topping Harvard 7-4
GAME ONE I GAME TWO
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Edged 11-10 by Presbyterian College in game one, the University at Albany softball team bounced back to overcome Harvard, 7-4, in the nightcap Saturday at the Green & Gold Classic at Pruitt Complex. With the split, the Great Danes are now 1-2 on the season.
Against Harvard, sophomore pitcher Devin Durando (1-1) earned the win, scattering four runs and seven hits, while striking out two in the complete game.
While the Great Danes fell behind 3-0 after the Crimson scored two in the first and one in the second, UAlbany broke onto the board on Donna Conrad's RBI double that plated Liz Snow in the bottom of the second.
After Harvard countered with a run in the fifth, scoring on a sac fly, the Danes rallied for five unanswered runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 6-4 advantage. Conrad sparked the comeback with a leadoff double to left-center. Freshman Sarah Petzold followed with a single to right, and junior Kayla Bailey's walk brought home Conrad. With no outs, freshman McKenzie Bump laid down a bunt single and senior Kelly Costello ripped a game-tying double to right, setting up Maggie Cocks' two-run single up the middle for a 6-4 lead.
Holding the Crimson at bay, UAlbany added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, as Conrad drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Bump's single back to pitcher Sarah Smith.
Crimson starter Morgan Groom took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits in four innings of work. Out of the pen, Smith was charged with two runs and five hits in 1.2 frames, while Kathleen Duncan recorded the game's final out.
Totaling 11 hits as a club, Conrad led UAlbany at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Meanwhile, Bump (3-for-4) and Costello (2-for-4) each contributed multiple hits in the victory.
In Saturday's opener versus Presbyterian, the Great Danes also boasted double-digit hits, but had trouble keeping the Blue Hose off the board. The teams combined for 25 hits and 21 runs in the offensively heavy contest.
The Great Danes, who finished the day with 15 hits, jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the top of the first. After Bump led off with a walk and Costello singled up the middle, Snow reached on an error, and Chelsea Henige lined a two-run double to right field. Another fielding miscue allowed Mackenzie Cleary to reach base and Henige to score on a wild pitch. Petzold knocked home Cleary with a double down the left field line, giving UAlbany a nice five-run cushion.
The Blue Hose answered back with Hope Roger's two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, but UAlbany got the runs back in the second with three runs of their own. Costello opened the frame with a walk, and Cocks brought her home with a triple to left-center. After Snow was hit by a pitch, Cleary knocked in two with a two-run double to the left-centerfield gap for an 8-2 advantage.
However, Presbyterian chipped away at the deficit, scoring two more in the third on Roger's second two-run blast of the game.
Walking in a run with the bases loaded after a hit by pitch and a pair of walks in the fourth, Erin Ruff played hero with a grand slam over the left field fence that gave the Blue Hose the lead for good, 9-8. Kylie Young followed with a double to right-center and after a call to the bullpen that replaced Caitlin Cooper with Durando, Jordan Ashley knocked in another run with a double down the right field line.
In the fifth, the Blue Hose made it 11-8 on Kelsie Sanchez's solo homer.
Unwilling to quit, UAlbany clawed for two runs in the top of the seventh, as Conrad and Petzold led off with back-to-back doubles and Bailey laid down a bunt single. With two outs, Snow brought in Petzold with an RBI single to short, but that would be the Danes' final run of the clash as Presbyterian's Sydney Seigler forced a flyout to end the game.
Seigler earned the win, coming out of the pen to throw six innings, allowing three runs and 11 hits, while striking out four.
Cooper (0-1) took the loss for UAlbany, getting charged for 10 runs and six hits with two strikeouts. Durando tossed 2.1 innings of relief, allowing a run and four hits, while also striking out two.
The Great Danes close their time at the Green & Gold Classic on Sunday, taking on the hosting Jacksonville Dolphins at 11:30 a.m.
