LEWISTON, Maine -- Trinity College overcame a 3-0 deficit with
nine runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Bates College softball
team 9-4 on Friday, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the
NESCAC playoffs.
Trinity moves to 13-13 overall and 4-6 in the NESCAC East Division.
Bates is now 8-12 overall and 5-5 in the NESCAC East. The teams
will play a doubleheader tomorrow at 12 p.m. with second place in
the division, and a spot in the playoffs, on the line. Bates needs
to win only once while Trinity needs to complete a three-game
sweep.
The Bantams exploded for nine runs on 12 hits in the sixth inning
after being held scoreless on five hits through the first five
innings by Bates starter Kristen Finn. Junior Jessica Tait
(North Salem, N.Y.) closed the gap to 3-2 with a two-run
double, and sophomore Melanie Orphanos (Norton,
Mass.) tied the game with a one-run single to right.
Junior Patricia Cipicchio (Southmont, N.C.) put
the Bantams on top for good at 4-3 with an RBI single to left.
Trinity was far from done, scoring five more runs in the inning,
including a two-run single by sophomore Katherine
Stoltenberg (Montgomery, N.J.), and an RBI double by
senior Stacy Hathcox (Woodinville, Wash.). Four
players had two hits in the inning: sophomore Nicole
Nordella(Beverly, Mass.), senior Ariana Mullin
(Woodbridge, Conn.), Tait and Orphanos.
Bates got back a run in the seventh as Stacia Saniuk's single
scored pinch hitter Karen Ullmann, who had walked.
Bates went ahead 2-0 in the third, loading the bases with one out
for Katherine Buckley's hit by pitch RBI and Leah Citrin's RBI
sacrifice fly. In the fourth the Bobcats made it 3-0 when Jean
McIntyre led off with a single, advanced to third on Lauren
Dobish's sacrifice and a passed ball, then scored on Kelly
McManus's sacrifice bunt.
First-year Katherine Poulos (Wilton, Conn.) (8-8)
earned the complete-game victory for Trinity, allowing four runs on
seven hits and five walks. Finn (4-7) accepted the loss for Bates,
going 5 2/3 innings before giving way to Christina Knobel, who went
1 1/3 innings of relief.
Every Trinity starter had a hit and the Bantams collected 17 hits
in all. Stoltenberg led the way, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Leah Maciejewski and McIntyre both went 2-for-3 for Bates, which
collected seven hits in all.
Box Score
