Boxscore Game 1
Boxscore Game 2
PIKE CREEK, Del. – Timely hitting by junior utility player Shannon Graves lifted the Goldey-Beacom College softball team to two come-from-behind victories, 6-5 and 9-6 over Chestnut Hill in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on Tues. afternoon.
The Lightning improved to 10-4 overall and 3-1 in league play with the two victories while the Griffins fell to 3-13 (0-6 CACC).
Graves was a perfect 4-for-4 for the day with four RBI and three runs scored. In game one, she hit a walk-off 2 RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to score juniors Cailin Cavanaugh and Shannon O'Hara for a 6-5 victory. Then in game two, her RBI single to left field scored pinch runner Leanne Miller for the Lightning's go-ahead seventh run of the game.
Game 1:
Chestnut Hill manufactured four runs in the first three innings on six hits and two walks off freshman pitcher Roni Peters, but the Lightning kept in striking distance with a run in the bottom of the first and third innings.
Freshman Ashley Zaccaria led things off in the bottom of the first with a triple, and came home on a sacrifice fly by junior Ashley Paige to knot the score at one apiece. Then after three more Griffin runs over the next two innings, Paige came home on an RBI single by junior Shannon O'Hara to make the score 4-2 in the bottom of the third.
Gina Cavallo, who was 3-for-4 in the game with 2 RBI, plated Shannon Burdziak (2-for-4, two runs, 1 RBI) with a base hit to stretch the CHC lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth. That would be the only run of the day allowed by junior reliever Sadie Jones, who had come on with one out in the top of the second.
Jones pitched the final 4.2 innings of the game and allowed just three hits, two walks and one earned run with one strikeout. After the fourth inning, she retired nine of the final 11 batters she faced, allowing just one hit and one walk.
The Lightning bats began to rally around Jones in the bottom of the sixth, beginning with a lead-off walk by junior Cailin Cavanaugh. Freshman Michelle Foster singled on the next at-bat and advanced Cavanaugh to third. Cavanaugh then scored on a passed ball to make the score 5-3, and Foster moved up to second.
Still with no outs, senior Jackie Waddle walked, and sophomore Angelina Myers singled, loading the bases for Zaccaria. All three runners advanced on a wild pitch, including Foster who scored from third to make it a one-run game. The Lightning ultimately left three runners stranded in the inning as they failed to bring home the tying run in the sixth.
Jones did her part by retiring the side in order in the top of the seventh to keep it a one-run game as the Lightning faced their last three outs of the game.
O'Hara led off the inning, reaching on an error by the shortstop. She would go to third on the third hit of the day by Cavanaugh, as the tying and winning runs for the Lightning were on first and third, respectively, with no outs.
Foster grounded out to the shortstop on the next Lightning at-bat, as Cavanaugh and O'Hara both stayed put. Then sophomore Erin Poffenberger grounded out to third base for the second out, but Cavanaugh was able to advance to second and put herself in scoring position.
Graves, the Lightning's last hope, stepped up to the plate with two outs and runners on second and third, and ripped a clutch, 2 RBI base-hit to score O'Hara and Cavanaugh to give GBC a come-from-behind 6-5 victory.
Jones (1-0) was credited with the win while CHC's Veronica Wilenta (6.2 IP, 10 hits, six runs, five earned runs, five walks, two strikeouts) took the loss.
Game 2:
The Griffins soared to a commanding 6-0 lead in the first inning as they tagged Lightning starting pitcher, sophomore Ashley Antosh for four hits and two walks. O'Hara came on to get the final two outs of the inning, allowing minimal damage (two unearned runs) in the rest of the inning.
O'Hara went on to pitch 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five. Meanwhile, the Lightning bats started to come alive in the bottom of the third.
Graves reached on a one-out bunt single, and came around to score after consecutive base-hits by Zaccaria and Peters, and the Lightning had one run on the board after three.
The fourth inning saw GBC erupt for five runs on six hits, as the Lightning would tie the score at six apiece. Cavanaugh led off the inning with a base hit, and she advanced to third as Poffenberger ripped a double to left field.
After Paige went down on strikes, freshman Dana Walker followed with a double-bagger, also to left field, scoring Cavanaugh and Poffenberger to make it 6-3.
The Lightning continued to pour it on as the speedy Graves smacked a triple into left-center field, scoring Walker, and effectively ending starting pitcher Brittany DeGarmo's day.
Chestnut Hill brought in Cassie Benson to try to close the game, but she walked Zaccaria and gave up base-hits to Peters (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and junior Jordan Waterloo, as Zaccaria came around to score the tying run on Waterloo's two-out hit.
O'Hara, who retired 18 of the final 23 batters she faced, got out of the fifth inning unharmed after allowing a leadoff hit to Cavallo, and the Lightning came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth with the chance to take a lead.
Poffenberger led off with her second hit of the game to left-center field and sophomore Leanne Miller came on to pinch run. Paige earned a free-pass on a hit-by-pitch, and then Walker executed a sacrifice bunt to move Miller and Paige into scoring position.
Graves then roped her fourth hit in as many at-bats into left field, scoring Miller for what would prove to be the winning run. Paige advanced to third on Graves' hit, and then scored on a Zaccaria ground-out to second base. Later in the inning, Graves would come home from third on a passed ball for the third run of the inning, and give the Lightning a 9-6 lead.
Only one Griffin batter reached base in the last two innings, and it was a result of a Lightning infield error, as O'Hara shut down the visitors in the sixth and seventh frames to preserve the three-run win and pick up the win.
GBC has now won the last six games in the series with Chestnut Hill. The Lightning have won five of their last six games while the Griffins have dropped their last eight.
