NEWTON, MA – Junior shortstop Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, CT) knocked in two runs in the seventh and then the game-winning run in the eighth to give the Mount Ida College softball team a 7-6 win in the nightcap to salvage a split with visiting Rivier University this afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference twinbill on the Mount Ida campus in Newton, MA. Rivier took the first game, 5-1. The Mustangs are now 8-11 overall and 2-6 in GNAC play, while the Raiders are 9-10 and 6-4.
Senior center fielder Chaise Courbron (Monroe, CT), senior second baseman Tiffany Hamann (Newton, MA) and freshman designated player Kaitlyn Berube (Fall River, MA) all singled to load the bases with one out to set up a two-run double to center field off the bat of Guerrero to pull Mount Ida to within 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two. The Mustangs knotted the score at 6-6 when freshman catcher Cassie Durand (Dracut, MA) was intentionally walked to load the bases and sophomore Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, NJ) followed with a fly ball that landed just inside the right field line and just out of the reach of the Rivier defense to plate two more runs. Courbron began the bottom of the eighth on second base for Mount Ida and Hamann beat out an infield single, before Berube reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases for Guerrero. She delivered the winning run with a single to center field to end the two hour and 10 minute contest.
The Raiders scored the first four runs of the game in the first inning. Junior pitcher Hillary Tarr (North Easton, MA) forced in the first run when she grounded into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded. Freshman right fielder Libby Sammon (Rockland, MA) followed with a two-out double down the left field line to give the visitors a 3-0 margin, before freshman shortstop Sahara Brown (Barnstead, NH) reached on an infield single to bring home the fourth run of the frame. Rivier added another run in the third when it loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Tarr and freshman first baseman Kathryn Mostone (Pelham, NH) and a hit-by-pitch by Sammon. Brown reached on a fielder's choice to knock in the run to increase the visitor's lead to 5-0. The Mustangs answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning when they loaded the bases on singles from Hamann and Guerrero and a walk from senior left fielder Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT). Durand then came through with a two-out double to cut the deficit to 5-2. The Raiders took advantage of a pair of errors in the fourth to tack on their last run of the afternoon for a 6-2 cushion.
Freshman pitcher Allie Norris (Plymouth, MA) picked up the complete game victory to improve to 6-1 for Mount Ida after allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and six walks, while striking out four in eight innings of work. Tarr (5-3) was the tough luck loser for Rivier, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 15 hits and three bases on balls to go with two strikeouts in seven and a third innings of work.
Tarr was outstanding in the opening game for the Raiders, yielding just one run on five hits, while fanning four in seven complete innings to pick up the 5-1 win.
Rivier got all the runs it would need for the game, in the first inning, on run-scoring singles by junior third baseman Kirstie Clark (Brentwood, NH) and Mostone to take a 2-0 lead. The Mustangs cut the margin in half on an RBI double off the bat of Guerrero in the bottom of the inning, but it would be all their scoring for the rest of the contest. The Raiders capitalized on a miscue on the seventh for two of their three runs in the frame to give them a 5-1 lead.
Meeker (2-9) was saddled with the loss for Mount Ida, giving up five runs (four earned) on 13 hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in seven innings.
Guerrero finished the day going 4-8 with a pair of doubles, four RBI and a run scored for the Mustangs, while Hamman was 5-8 with two runs scored. Onorevole was 3-5 with a double and two runs batted in, while also displaying some impressive glove work at third base. Tarr, Brown and senior catcher Marissa Mercier (North Smithfield, RI) all rapped out four hits to lead Rivier. Brown, Mostone and Sammon all knocked in a pair of runs as well.
Mount Ida will be in action again on Saturday, April 6 when it travels to West Hartford, CT to take on GNAC foe University of St. Joseph (CT) for a noon doubleheader, while the Raiders host Johnson & Wales University on April 7 for a 1:00 p.m. twinbill.