Syracuse, N.Y. – Emma Schafer hit a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning as the Pace University Setters rallied in the top of the seventh to beat the Le Moyne College softball team, 5-1, in the final game of a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division series on Saturday afternoon at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex.
The 'Phins fall to 18-16 on the season. The team is 2-9 in the NE-10 and 1-8 against Southwest Division opponents. Pace is 15-12 overall, 9-6 in conference and 9-2 in the division.
Kaitlynn Nelson, the Setters' starting pitcher, threw a complete game, allowing only one run on four hits and four strikeouts.
After a scoreless first, sophomore shortstop
Lauren Zazzaro (Southington, Conn./Southington) doubled to straight-away center for the first hit on the day for the Dolphins. One batter later, she was plated by junior designated player/first baseman
Rachelle Walters (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) with a RBI single to center.
The score remained 1-0 until the final inning.
Pace started off the seventh with a single to second. The next batter, Nikole Larm, attempted to bunt the runner over but lightly fouled it off instead. Freshman catcher
Ally Nicolosi (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) dove to her left and caught the ball in foul territory for the first out of the inning. With just two outs remaining for the Setters, Schafer took the ball over the right-center field wall on a line for her second homer of the season to give the Setters a 2-1 lead. Pace would go on to score three more runs on four hits in the inning. Freshman
Peyton Bellrose (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) took over in the circle and got Jordan Chillinsky to fly out to left field for the final out of the inning.
A scoreless bottom half confirmed the Setters' victory, 5-1.
In her ninth loss of the season, junior
Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) allowed five runs on eight hits and five strikeouts through 6.2 innings of work. She is now 11-9 on the season. Zazzaro went 1-for-3 at the plate with her double, while Walters was also 1-for-3 and knocked her in the only Dolphin run.
Le Moyne is scheduled to play the next six games on the road. The team will take on The College of Saint Rose on Wednesday, April 19 in a midweek NE10 Southwest Division doubleheader before a three-game series against Southern Connecticut State University next weekend. First pitch against Saint Rose is at 3 p.m. in Albany, N.Y.
The 'Phins will return home to the Niland Athletic Complex on Tuesday, April 25 with another double header against the College of Saint Rose at 3 p.m.
