FORT MYERS, Fla. – A
Sara Campagna walk-off double along with two stellar pitching performances from classmate
Emily Pater lifted the Kenyon Ladies softball team to two wins on Wednesday. Kenyon won in extra innings, 2-1, against Rockford University before crushing New Jersey City University, 10-2.
The victories moved the team's record to 13-3 for just the second time since 1998.
GAME ONE
Not until the eighth inning when international run rules applied did Kenyon and Rockford score runs.
In the circle, Pater limited the Regents to just three hits through seven frames while two more reached via Kenyon error. For Rockford pitcher Rylee Klema, she allowed two hits with two other Ladies getting on after miscues.
The two pitchers combined for nine strikeouts, 24 fly outs and 12 groundouts.
Kenyon nearly got a lead in the sixth as Campagna and
Nicole Bishay reached scoring position with just one out. However, Klema got Rockford out of the jam as she tallied a strikeout and induced a groundout.
Heading into the eighth, rules dictated a runner being placed onto second base. The Regents used that to attain a 1-0 lead. Gretchen Schrubbe singled up the middle and plated Klema for the game's first tally.
The Ladies did not panic and pulled through in their at-bat. With
Bella Albrecht on second, leadoff batter
Grace Finn reached first after a walk. Then, Campagna smacked a double to left which drove home both runners. That marked Campagna's third hit of the day, a team-high.
Also of note, Pater, with archived stats since the 2001 season, became the first Kenyon pitcher to attain a 6-0 record.
GAME TWO
A vast amount of miscues by the Gothic Knights and another good appearance from Pater (7-0) helped the Ladies win again.
New Jersey City committed six errors which led to six unearned runs for Kenyon.
Between the second and third innings, the Ladies got all the run support they needed. The scoring started as Pater took a 2-2 pitch to left center and drove in
Grace Pilz. In the same inning, Finn hit a three-bagger to left field and pushed Albrecht across home.
An inning later,
Lauren Graf drove in
Kathryn Riggs who pinch ran for Brittany Patterson after she reached by error. With a 4-0 lead, the Ladies added three more runs in the fourth.
Highlighting the fourth included
Clare McMahon stealing home and Bishay driving in Riggs on a groundout.
The Gothic Knights secured their first run in the fifth on a two-out RBI single from Hannah Gavin. They would add just one more after that with the game in Kenyon's control.
In the top of the sixth, another error by NJCU's right fielder plated two while freshman
Sophia Gottdiener drew a bases-loaded walk.
Finn and Campagna led the Kenyon attack with two hits each while Pater tossed 4.2 innings, scattered two hits and struck out four.
Next on the schedule for the Ladies is a home non-conference doubleheader against Otterbein University on March 21 at 3 p.m.
