Softball Streak to Fifth Straight in Sweep of Badgers

PAXTON, MA: On Thursday afternoon, the Anna Maria College Softball team hosted the Northern Vermont University-Johnson Badgers for a non-conference doubleheader at the AMCATS Softball Field.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023
• Game 1: NVU-Johnson 1, Anna Maria 2 (Eight Innings)
• Game 2: NVU-Johnson 2, Anna Maria 7
• Records: NVU-Johnson Badgers 3-12 | Anna Maria AMCATS 10-15

HIGHLIGHTS

• GAME 1
  • Junior pitcher Eden Forget (Worcester, MA) threw a complete game five-hitter while striking out eight and only walking one while allowing a single run. This was Forget's third win of the season.
  • Both teams were engaged in a pitcher's duel as the game remained scoreless until the Badgers scored on an RBI double in the top of the seventh
  • The AMCATS responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings. Junior catcher Saylor Costa (East Providence, RI) led off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield and was followed by graduate student designated player Sabrina Liston with a lined single over the head of the shortstop into left to move Costa to second. Freshman Paige Stewart (Auburn, MA) came on as a pinch runner for Liston. Freshman shortstop Madison-Marie Romano (Lebanon, ME) then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line, forcing the first baseman to field it and throw to the second baseman for the out at first. Forget then helped her own cause with a slow ground ball to second base that wasn't hit hard enough for the fielder to make an attempt on the runner heading for home.
  • After keeping the Badgers off the scoreboard in the top of the inning, the AMCATS took advantage of the ghost runner starting at second base in the bottom of the frame. With one out, senior right fielder Kendall McNamee (Somers, CT) lined a shot through a diving third baseman into left field and graduate student second baseman Michelle Cilley (Dracut, MA) motored around from second and scored ahead of the throw from left field that was cut off by the Badgers' pitcher for the walk-off win
• GAME 2
  • The AMCATS' bats were awakened in the second game, led by senior first baseman Samantha Dahill (Littleton, MA) who went two for four with a home run and a double while driving in three.
  • Dahill led off the bottom of the first inning with the AMCATS' second home run of the season, joining Romano who homered at Dean on March 29^th.
  • After the Badgers responded with two runs in the top of the second, the AMCATS bats truly came to life, putting up a six spot in the bottom of the frame. Fortune smiled on the AMCATS to start the second inning with both Forget and Cilley reaching on errors by the first baseman. Freshman designated player Samantha Wozniak then walked to load the bases. Stewart then singled to tie the game and score Forget from third. Dahill then recorded her other two RBI with a double scoring Cilley and Wozniak. An error by the Badgers' third baseman allowed Costa to reach, scoring Stewart and moving Dahill to third. Liston then lifted a sacrifice fly ball into centerfield to bring Dahill home with the 7-2 advantage.
  • Liston then made the 7-2 advantage hold up, only allowing one hit over the final five innings, and four total while striking out five and earning her seventh win of the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• With the victory in the second game, the AMCATS recorded their first five-game win streak since the 2010 season when they accomplished the feat twice.
• The first game was the second time this season that Forget went eight innings to record a complete win. She previously did this on March 7^th in a 3-2 win over Potsdam.

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria will be back in action on Saturday when they will host the Rivier University Raiders for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader at the AMCATS softball field located near the Fuller Activities Center. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.

STAY CONNECTED:

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