Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Lee Harrison (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) belted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Saint Peter's past UMBC 6-5 in the nightcap of a non-conference softball doubleheader on Wednesday. The Retrievers (8-22) rallied to win the opener, 7-5.
With the game tied at 5 and after looking at the first two pitches for called strikes, Harrison smacked the next pitch over the left center fence for her team-leading fifth home run of the year to lead the Peacocks (4-23) to the dramatic victory. The freshman went 5-for-7 on the afternoon with a homer, three doubles and two runs scored.
Michelle Tinajero (Elmwood Park, Ill./Elmwood Park) went 3-for-3 with a run scored in the nightcap while Amber Velasquez (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) recorded a pair of hits and Maria Maresca (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) registered a two-run single in the second game.
Caitlin Chance paced UMBC with four hits and five RBIs in the two games while Danielle O'Neill added four hits, two runs scored and two RBIs and Jane Pardo posted four hits and a run scored on the afternoon.
The second game was a seesaw battle back and forth, but Saint Peter's used the power bat of a freshman to win the game in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at 5, Harrison smacked her first home run at Jaroschak Field in her fourth career home game to power the Peacocks to their fourth win of the year.
Saint Peter's got the scoring started in the second when Maresca plated Tinajero and Nicole Olmedo (Chino, Calif./Chino), who both reached on consecutive singles with one out in the inning.
The Peacocks then added two runs in the third to grab a 4-0 advantage. Harrison started the frame with a double down the left field line and Chelsea Crews (Seattle, Wash./Mountlake Terrace) reached on an error to put runners on the corners. The duo then converted a double steal to bring home Harrison while Crews also touched home on the play when the throw sailed into centerfield.
The Retrievers came back to tie the game at 4 after scoring four times in the fifth. Alex Zelaski got the rally started with an RBI single to right field. After Mary Hartman touched home on a wild pitch, Zelaski scored on a wild pitch before Chance evened the score on an RBI single.
Saint Peter's regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Harrison led off the inning with a double to right field and then came around to score when Francesca D'Amato (Lyndhurst, N.J./Immaculate Conception) reached on an error to give the Peacocks a 5-4 edge.
UMBC answered right back when O'Neill coaxed a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 5 to set up Harrison's heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
Erica Colon (Fairview, N.J./High Tech) started and then re-entered the contest to earn the victory.
In the opener, UMBC grabbed the early lead before Saint Peter's wrestled it away to take a 4-2 edge only to see the Retrievers score five times in the fifth to earn a 7-5 win.
Trailing 4-2, UMBC scored five times in the fifth to take the lead for good. Chelsea Bertoglio started the five-run rally with an RBI double before Taylor Hall plated the second run on an infield single. O'Neill then hit a sacrifice fly before Courtney Reinfeld capped the five-run stanza with a two-run double up the middle for a 7-4 lead.
The Peacocks answered with a run in the sixth when Harrison plated Taylor Corretjer (Theills, N.Y./North Rockland) on an RBI single to third base to trim the margin to 7-5.
Olmedo walked with one out an advanced to second on a groundout, but was stranded when the game ended on a strikeout.
The Retrievers got the scoring started in the game with a two-run single through the left side in the first off the bat of Chance for a 2-0 edge.
Saint Peter's struck right back to take the lead with three runs in the bottom of the stanza. Harrison walked and D'Amato singled up the middle before Crews doubled home Harrison. After Sierra Parker (Chino Hills, Calif./Caldwell College) plated D'Amato on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2, Olmedo followed with a sacrifice fly of her own to bring home Crews for a 3-2 edge.
UMBC then scored five times in the fifth to come from behind for the victory.
Shelby Beaver (Boyerstown, Pa./Boyerstown) took the loss in the opener.
The Peacocks return to action when they conclude their three-team homestand and open up Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play against Rider at Jaroschak Field on Saturday. First pitch is 12 p.m.
