NEWTON, Mass. – Mount Ida College dropped a pair of close games to a strong Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent in University of Saint Joseph (CT) on Friday afternoon at The Softball Field.
The Mustangs (8-20, 7-13 GNAC) now will look towards their final regular season games tomorrow afternoon against rival Lasell College, where they could book a place in the GNAC tournament.
The Blue Jays took an 8-1 lead in game one into the seventh inning, then held off a fervent 2-out rally by the home team for an 8-6 win, then scored a run in the top of the eighth inning in game two for a 2-1, extra inning victory.
Game One: Saint Joseph (CT) 8, Mount Ida 6
Saint Joseph took a 3-0 lead with single runs in the second third, and fourth innings, then opened the game up with a four-run fifth and led 8-1 into the bottom of the seventh.
Meg Hall (Danielson, Conn.) hit a bloop single to score second baseman Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, N.J.), then Mount Ida loaded the bases and Shannon McArthur (Coventry, R.I.) delivered a three-run triple to pull the score back to 8-5, as the Mustangs recorded six hits in the seventh inning.
Senior Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, Conn.) followed with a double to center field to score McArthur, but the Mustangs were unable to complete the two-out rally.
Patti Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) improved to 9-2, striking out four over 5.1 innings, and allowing just one run on five hits and a walk for the Blue Jays.
She also homered to left center in the third inning, an inning after her sister Mary (Norwalk, Conn.) had doubled home Ashley Gall (Stafford Springs, Conn.) in the second to put the Blue Jays on the board.
Lucianna Medici (Riverside, R.I.) singled home Hall in the third to pull Mount Ida back to a 2-1 deficit, but Ashley Tucker (Middletown, Conn.) hit a solo shot in the top of the fourth and then Emily Vigue (Lebanon, Conn.), Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Gall hit RBI singles in the four-run fifth inning.
Gall doubled home Patty Sciglimpaglia the next inning as she completed a 3-4 game with two runs and two RBIs.
Mount Ida freshman Kaitlyn Muhlenforth (Bohemia, N.Y.) went seven innings, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits, while striking out three.
First year Michele MacDonald (North Dighton, Conn.) went 3-4 with a run scored in the game, while McArthur had two hits and three RBIs, while also scoring.
Game Two: Saint Joseph (CT) 2, Mount Ida 1, 8 innings
Mount Ida freshman Nicole Handzel (Palmer, Mass.) threw another strong outing, striking out 12 batters, but an eighth inning passed ball allowed placed pinch runner Colleen Ecsedy (Ashford, Conn.) to score the winning run in a tight game.
Each team scored their single run in the third inning, with Gall continuing her hot day by singling home Emily Vigue, who was 3-4 in game two.
Mount Ida took advantage of two errors an inning later to score an unearned run, as Medici reached on a bunt single and then came across after miscues on the next two plays.
The Mustangs left runners at second and third in the bottom of the sixth with a chance to break the 1-1 tie, then worked their way out of a jam in the top of the seventh to ensure at least an extra-inning game.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the seventh with a hit, a walk, and an error and just one out. Handzel dug deep and got Mary Sciglimpaglia to fly out to left field, then struck Tucker out swinging to get out of a huge spot of trouble.
Danielle Circosta (Feeding Hills, Mass.) improved her record to 6-4 on the year by pitching eight full inning and allowing an unearned run on six hits and one walk, while fanning five Mustang batters.
Handzel dropped to 7-11, despite allowing just one earned run.
The Mustangs and Lasers are set for a 12:00 pm first pitch in game one of their double-header at The Softball Field tomorrow afternoon, preceded by a ceremony to honor the senior members of the team.
The Blue Jays end their regular season with a 19-8 record, and a 15-3 mark in the conference, in a good position for a first-round bye in the GNAC tournament.