Softball Splits With Bucknell To Close Out Rebel Games

BOX ONE  I  BOX TWO

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The University at Albany softball team closed out its time at the Rebel Spring Games on Friday with a doubleheader split against Bucknell. The Great Danes won game one, 6-3, before the Bison edged UAlbany in the second, 5-4. After playing 12 games in eight days, UAlbany returns to New York with a 13-8 overall record.

“That was a challenging stretch of softball for us and I'm really happy with what I saw inside of us as a team,” said Head Coach Chris Cannata. “We demanded a lot of them with the travel and the schedule.”

Sophomore Devin Durando (8-3) earned the opening win, holding Bucknell to two runs (one earned) and three hits, while striking out four in six innings. Out of the pen, freshman Celeste Verdolivo tossed the final frame, charged with a run, a hit, while striking out one.

Offensively, the Great Danes totaled nine hits in the victory with four players logging multiple knocks. Senior Maggie Cocks led the charge, going 2-for-4 with three runs batted in, while Kelly Costello also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman Chelsea Henige followed suit going 2-for-4 with an RBI, and junior Kayla Bailey went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

UAlbany struck first in the third, scoring two unearned runs on Costello's two-out RBI single up the middle and Cocks' RBI double to right-centerfield.

However, Bucknell answered with a pair of runs in the fourth on a leadoff walk, an error, and a run-scoring wild pitch.

In the fifth, the Danes added two more runs in the fifth on Cocks' two-run double that plated freshman McKenzie Bump and Costello.

UAlbany added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh as Bailey led off with a double down the left field line. Costello knocked her home with a single to short and Henige capped the framed with a run-scoring double down the left field line for a 6-2 advantage

The Bison managed a run in the bottom of the seventh on a leadoff triple and fielding error, but Verdolivo closed out the inning with three straight outs.

In game two, the Great Danes again scored first with a run in the opening stanza. Bump led off with an infield single, moved to second on Costello's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Henige's RBI single down the right line.

UAlbany made it 3-0 in the fifth, putting two on with a pair of walks and Cocks knocked pinch runner Jules Holbert and Bump in with a two-run single up the middle.

However, the Bison swiped the lead for good in the top of the sixth with five runs on four hits. With the bases loaded and no outs, Lauren Hadley did the most damage with her game-tying three-run triple to right field. An RBI single to right and a run-scoring groundout to second gave Bucknell a 5-3 advantage.

Down to their last at-bats, the Great Danes looked to rally as Costello led off the frame with a double to right-centerfield. Sophomore Donna Conrad knocked her in with two outs, cutting the margin to one. However, Bison catcher Christina Martinez caught Conrad stealing to end the game.

Verdolivo (4-3) took the loss, allowing five runs and five hits, while striking out one in seven innings.

Accruing nine hits as a team again, Bump led the squad going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Conrad also went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

“We are pretty inexperienced at most of the positions on the field so there was a lot of in-game teaching and lessons learned for a young team,” added Cannata. “But the one thing we didn't have to teach was to fight to the very last out of the last inning and that's a great character to have on your team.” 

Up next, UAlbany opens America East Conference play, traveling to take on Hartford, March 25-26.