KISSIMMEE, Fla. – William Paterson softball (5-3) rallied from a 3-2 deficit to upend Suffolk, 4-3, in the opener, but fell to Haverford, 2-1, to earn a split on day four of The Spring Games.
HOW IT HAPPENED VS SUFFOLK:
- WP took a 2-0 lead in the home half of the second, using an RBI-groundout by freshman designated player Brianna Young (Egg Harbor City, N.J./Cedar Creek) and a run-scoring single by junior pitcher Alex Grubiak (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge).
- A three-run third inning lifted the Rams to a 3-2 advantage in third, but the Pioneers scored the tying run in the bottom of the same frame when junior second baseman Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Conception) singled in senior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), who reached base via a two-out triple to right field.
- Stellar pitching dominated the middle innings until WP broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Consecutive walks by Lupica, freshman first baseman Amber Reed (Verona, N.J./Verona) and Young loaded the bases for freshman left fielder Janaya Espino (Woodland Park, N.J./Passaic County Tech), who worked her own free pass which allowed the game-winning run to cross the plate.
- Sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Massaro (Madison, N.J./Madison) picked up her third win of the season blanking Suffolk over 4.2 innings, scattering six hits and a walk while striking out three (3-0).
HOW IT HAPPENED VS HAVERFORD:
- WP and Haverford were locked in a pitching duel for five innings until the Pioneers broke through in the top of the sixth. Massaro opened the frame with a walk and came around to score, courtesy of a pair of two-out errors, as WP pulled in front, 1-0.
- Down to their last two outs, an RBI-single and a run-scoring double was enough offense as Haverford prevailed 2-1.
- Massaro (3-1) took the loss despite allowing just two runs over 6.1 innings of work.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Griffith went 2-for-5 on the day with a triple and a run scored.
- During the split, WP stranded 14 base runners, including eight vs Haverford.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson will take on Beloit at 10:00 a.m. and the University of New England at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, March 15, at The Spring Games.
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