Release courtesy of Sarah Lawrence Athletics
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—In the teams' final regular-season games of the 2014 season, Sarah Lawrence College softball defeated College of New Rochelle, 14-5 and 22-13, in Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Flowers Park on Tuesday.
Admist light rain and 40-degree weather, Sarah Lawrence (2-22, 1-2 HVIAC) began the day with 10 runs in the first inning of game one, and the Gryphons kept up the offensive pressure to dismiss New Rochelle (0-26, 0-3 HVIAC) in both contests.
In game one, seven Gryphons recorded hits, while all nine starting batters crossed the plate for at least one run. SeniorMackenzie Gassett (Camden, Maine/Camden Hills Regional) scored four runs and batted in another, hitting 2-for-2 in the game, including a triple. Rookie Sarah Weldon (New York, N.Y./Millennium) tied an SLC record by drawing four walks in the contest.
Pitcher Rebecca Kuntz (Northridge, Calif./Chaminade College Preparatory) earned the game-one win with five strikeouts in five innings. She helped herself from the plate, drawing three walks and a hit while batting in three runs and crossing the plate once.
The first game also saw sophomore Sam Amberchan (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton) pick up her first career hit.
In her first plate appearance of game two, rookie Erin Chafatelli (Nashville, Tenn./McGavock) blasted a two-run homer to put the Green and White on the scoreboard. The Gryphons took a 5-0 lead after the first inning.
Gassett picked up her first career home run to lead off the second; however, the Blue Angels cut the deficit to 7-4 in the bottom half of the frame. By the end of the fifth inning, SLC was still in front, 10-7.
Chafatelli notched another home run in the sixth inning, becoming the first Gryphon on record to hit two homers in the same game; the feat also gave SLC a program-record three home runs in the same game. Her three-run shot helped lift Sarah Lawrence to a 18-7 advantage, but CNR responded to narrow the gap to 18-11.
Chaffatelli batted in a run on a triple in the seventh, and Gassett followed with an RBI double, increasing the Gryphon total to 22 runs en route to the 22-13 win.
Rebecca Somogyi (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishiop John Carroll) won the game on six innings pitched from the circle, striking out three Blue Angels. Kuntz tossed the final inning with an additional strikeout.
In the field, Gassett split time at first and third base in game two, setting an SLC record with 11 putouts. She finished the day 6-for-7 from the plate with a series cycle and seven runs.
Chaffatelli's seven RBIs in game two shattered the previous SLC record of three. She was a double away from becoming the first Gryphon to hit for a cycle.
Maria Vineyard (Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch) went 2-for-2 in game two, scoring three runs and batting in two. Lead-off hitterAriana Muoio (Cross River, N.Y./Convent of the Sacred Heart) was 3-for-5, scoring five times with two RBIs and a walk.Hayley Adams (Dover, N.H./Berwick Academy) had two hits in the series, including an RBI single in her pinch-hitting appearance in game two.
On the day, Lauren Gray (Sea Cliff, N.Y./Waldorf School of Garden City) hit 4-for-8, including a double and triple. She scored four runs with four RBIs.
Sarah Lawrence concludes the 2014 slate when the Gryphons host the 2014 HVIAC Softball Championship on Sunday, May 4. As the No. 3 seed, SLC will take on the No. 2 seed (TBD) at 11 a.m., while No. 4 New Rochelle is fated to meet the No. 1 seed at 1 p.m. The title game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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Recap courtesy of CNR Athletics
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – In the final regular season double header of the season, the Blue Angels faced off with HVIAC rival Sarah Lawrence to determine seeding in Sunday's HVIAC Invitational Tournament. In two offensive minded games, CNR fell twice, despite posting seasonal offensive highs.
The team batted .365 on the day, highlighted by Jah-Leah Ellis, who went 4-5 (.800) with five RBI, four runs, two doubles and a home run. Genesis Garcia batted .500 with four runs scored.
Sarah Lawrence jumped out to a fast lead in the opener, plating 10 runs in the top of the first. The Blue Angels outscored the Gryphons the rest of the way, but came up on the short end of the scoreline. In the second, Garcia and Ellis tallied back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning, with Ellis later scoring on a Kirstein Labaso triple. In the third, CNR scored three more, as Tanika Charles tripled and scored on a wild pitch and Ellis belted her second home run of the season, chasing home Garcia. Amber Milan came on in relief and held Sarah Lawrence to an unearned run over the final two innings.
In the nightcap, CNR scored a season-high 13 runs, plating four in both the second and sixth, three in the fifth, and two more in the seventh, but came up short, 22-13. Eight Blue Angels drove in a run, with Charles, Ellis, Tiany Perez Diaz and Rita Saad each plating two.
