Softball: Raiders drop a pair in Florida

Softball: Raiders drop a pair in Florida

(Fort Myers, Fla.) For the third consecutive day the Rivier University Softball team got to enjoy the good weather down here in Southwest Florida as they played a pair of games against the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford and Geneva College. The Raiders fell in the first contest against Pitt-Bradford, 10-2 before suffering a tough 8-6 loss to Geneva College. Rivier is now 0-6 to begin the season and will enjoy a day off tomorrow before finishing out the week with four games on Thursday & Friday.

Game One: University of Pittsburgh-Bradford 10, Rivier University 2 (Final)

The Raiders were trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning before Pitt-Bradford exploded for six runs to eventually ice the game.

Rivier pounded out eight hits in the contest highlighted by 2-for-3 performances from junior Kasey Smith (Hopkinton, N.H.) and sophomore Taylor Rowsell (Chelmsford, Mass.). Junior Mikayla Ramsdell (Salem, N.H.) went 1-for-1 with two runs scored while freshman Alexa Zienkiewicz (Goffstown, N.H.) and Morgan Pratt (Pelham, N.H.) added RBI singles. Junior Kerri Hegarty (Tewksbury, Mass.) suffered the loss inside the circle as she allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits in three innings pitched. Rowsell then finished the ballgame allowing the other five runs (two earned) on six hits in 1.1 innings of work.

Jordan Uhing tossed the complete game for the Panthers as she surrendered two runs on eight hits while striking out four. Offensively, Emily McIntosh went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Betty Fratercangelo knocked in a pair of RBI on her 2-for-4 morning. Grace Dadzaa and Jenna Hicks also registered two-hit games for Pitt-Bradford.

Game Two: Geneva College 8, Rivier University 6 (Final)

Rivier kept their hitting shoes on for the second game of the morning as they collected nine hits however they left the tying run at the plate in the 8-6 loss to Geneva College.

Freshman Kellie Kennedy (Hudson, N.H.) went 2-for-4 at the dish with a RBI as the Raiders got contributions from everyone in the lineup. Smith, Ramsdell and freshman Katie Welch (Wilmington, Mass.) each added a RBI with junior Linsey Roth (Tyngsboro, Mass.) recording her first collegiate hit, a double in the sixth. Freshman Julia Dailey (Dracut, Mass.) went 1-for-3 with two runs scored as the leadoff hitter for the Raiders. Inside the circle, Kennedy allowed eight runs on 14 hits while only issuing one walk and striking out two for a complete game effort.

Geneva was led by a pair of 2-for-3, 3 RBI efforts from Marina Manuppelli and Madison Schultz. Vanessa Templeton got the win inside the circle as she spun four innings of work and Bobbi Ann Theiss was credited with the save after throwing the final three frames.