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March 17, 2008
Box Score (vs. Delaware Valley) |
Box Score (vs. ECSU) |
TUCSON, AZ - After losing a pair of early games and then coming within one out of being no-hit, the Babson softball team staged a miraculous seventh-inning comeback to claim an 8-7 victory over Division II opponent Franklin Pierce in the team's third game of the day on Monday afternoon. Sophomore Michelle Bolduc recorded the game-winning hit for the Beavers (4-3), knocking in senior captain Jess Cohen and first-year Laura Douglas with the tying and winning runs. Earlier in the day, Babson suffered a tough 4-1 loss to Delaware Valley, which scored two runs in each of the final two frames to claim a 4-1 come-from-behind win. First-year Caroline Barr was outstanding on the mound for the Beavers, allowing one run on six hits while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings en route to a no decision. Junior Courtney Thurston recorded three hits and an RBI to pace the offense in that contest. Junior Kaitlyn Clark doubled and scored on an error to give Babson a 1-0 lead in the team's second contest of the day, but Eastern Connecticut rallied with a run in the second and three more in the fourth to hand the Beavers another 4-1 defeat. Sophomore Danielle Liska shouldered the loss on the mound, giving up four runs and striking out six in five innings. Sophomore Brittney Russo and junior Kim D'Agostino each finished with two hits for Babson, which managed just six safeties in the game.
That set the stage for a tough battle with Franklin Pierce, which looked to be in control early on. The Ravens scored four runs in the second and then added unearned runs in each of the third, fourth, and sixth innings to gain a 7-0 advantage. That appeared to be more than enough for junior Courtney Jacobs, who took a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh. After Doulgas flew out to center for the innings first out, D'Agostino drew a walk. Jacobs then got Bolduc to pop to second, leaving her just one out away from the no-hitter. However, first-year Caroline Barr reached on a two-out error that would have ended the game, and things quickly came unraveled for the Ravens after that. After a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, rookie Meg Cyr stroked the Beavers' first hit of the game - an RBI single that plated D'Agostino with Babson's first run. Cyr then stole second, setting up another critical error by the Ravens off the bat of Thurston that allowed two more runs to score. Russo followed with Babson's second hit as she ripped an RBI double that scored Thurston to cut the Beavers' deficit to 7-4. Franklin Pierce then had its third chance to end the game on a grounder by Kaitlyn Clark, but the Raven committed yet another costly error as Babson put runners on the corners with the tying run coming to the plate. After working the count full, Cohen drew a walk to load the bases and bring up the potential go-ahead run. Douglas then stepped in for her second at-bat of the inning, and incredibly Franklin Pierce committed their fourth error of the frame on her grounder, allowing Russo to cross the plate with Babson's fifth run. D'Agostino followed with her second walk of the inning, forcing in Clark from third and moving the tying and winning runs into scoring position. Only one out away from a no-hitter just moments earlier, Jacobs was finally relieved by rookie righthander Kayla Johnson. The first-year hurler quickly got ahead of Bolduc 0-2, but the Babson sophomore was unphased as she smacked the game-winning single, scoring Cohen and Douglas and giving the Beavers then amazing 8-7 victory. Barr's first collegiate victory was a memorable one, as she came on in relief of junior starter Jess Byrn in the third and tossed five strong innings. The rookie hurler allowed three runs - all of which were unearned - on five hits, walked none and struck out one. |
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