Softball: Lady AMCATS Split with Mustangs on Senior Day

Paxton, Mass. – Senior Tabitha Ruggeri (Sturbridge, Mass.) cranked a two-out, two RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the AMCATS to a 7-6 walk-off win in game one versus visiting Mount Ida College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at AMCAT field. The Mustangs captured game two by a score of 7-1 to earn the split with the AMCATS.

The Mustangs move to 13-22 overall and 5-7 in conference play, while the AMCATS winners of three of the last four improve to 5-29 and 2-19 in the GNAC.

Senior captain, Ruggeri was honored in a pre-game ceremony by Head Coach Kristi Lyman for her four year contribution to the softball team. Ruggeri received a special call from her brother, serving in the Marine Corps., to congratulate her on her AMC career.

GAME ONE: Anna Maria 7, Mount Ida 6 – 8 innings

The Mount Ida battery of Devan Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) and Cassie Durand (Fairfield, Conn.) stroked home runs in the top of the first inning to give the Mustangs a quick 2-0 lead. Anna Maria cut the lead in half in the home half of the second inning when freshman Makayla Leite (South Easton, Mass.) scored on a ground out by Cristina Turley (Waterford, Conn.).

The teams traded a pair of runs in the fifth inning. With runners on second and third freshman Samantha Miller (Dudley, Mass.) delivered a 2-RBI single to deep left field to push the score to 4-3 Mount Ida after five complete.

In the top of the sixth, Mount Ida added an insurance run when senior Tiffany Hamann (Newton, Mass.) led off with a single to center field and came around to score on a Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, Conn.) single to left center.

The AMCATS answered with a single run in the bottom of the sixth and then in the bottom of the seventh with one out Miller drilled a home run over the left centerfield fence to tie the game a 5-all.

In the top of the eighth the Mustangs would plate the go-ahead run capitalizing on an AMCAT miscue to take a 6-5 lead. With a pinch-runner, Kayla Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.) placed on second Turley would sacrificed Lapierre over to third base. Next, Liz Haggerty walked to set the stage for Ruggeri's heroics.

Sophomore Nichole Lowe (Saugus, Mass.) pitched five innings to earn the win allowing just three runs while striking out four Mustang batters. Freshman Angela Vousboukis (Swampscott, Mass.) hurled three strong innings in relief.

GAME TWO: Anna Maria 1, Mount Ida 7

The Mustangs wasted little time breaking game two open, Mount Ida notched two runs in both the first and second inning and added three more insurances runs, while the AMCATS put one on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 7-1 final.

The AMCATS produced five hits in the nightcap; Ruggeri, Haggerty and Lindsay Bond (Webster, Mass.) all posted doubles, while Leite and Lalonde had singles.

The AMCATS pushed their only run of the game across the plate in the home half of the last inning. Ruggeri potted her 16^th RBI of the season with a double to score Lalonde who had opened the inning with a single.

Freshman Allie Norris (Plymouth, Mass.) earned the win for Mount Ida, she scattered five hits allowing just one run while striking out five AMCATS on the day.

Anna Maria returns to action tomorrow when they will host Albertus Magnus for a single game, first pitch is slated for noon.