Rivier and Norwich Split a Pair in Women’s Softball

Nashua, NH – Rivier College and Norwich University split a pair of softball games tonight in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) double header played in Nashua, NH. The games, originally scheduled for Sunday, were moved to tonight in order to beat the incoming snow since everyone in New England knows how unpredictable each days weather could be. Norwich picked up 12 hits in the opening game and took away a 9-4 win while Rivier smashed 4 homeruns in the nightcap to take game two 10-2.

Game 1: Norwich 9 – Rivier 4

Norwich went up quickly in game one with a first inning 2 run homer by senior Marley Balasco (Barrington, RI) off starting pitcher Lauren Beatty (Sherman, CT), but Rivier answered right back with a 3 spot in the bottom half of the inning when Beatty hit a 2 run homerun of her own with two outs. However, Norwich would score at least 1 run in each of the first four innings and were up 7-3 after 4 complete. Rivier finally scored again in the bottom of the fifth when Marissa Mercier (N. Smithfield, RI) hit a single to score Catherine Roy (Dracut, MA) who had walked earlier in the inning. That would be all for the Raiders and Norwich would tack on two more insurance runs in the top of the 7th when Seana Ellsworth (Everett, MA) hit a triple to drive in 1 run followed by a Kelsey Buker (Morrisville, VT) single to bring home Ellsworth to give Norwich the 9-4 lead and the eventual game 1 win.

Buker pitched a complete game for the Cadets scattering five hits and walking three with three strikeouts. She gave up four runs, but only one of those runs was earned. On the other side, Beatty pitched a complete game for the Raiders, giving up 12 hits and 8 earned runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

Game 2: Rivier 10 – Norwich 2

The Raiders came out in game two with the bats red hot, starting the bottom of the first inning with back to back solo homeruns by Nicole Peacock (Warwick, RI) and Roy to put the Raiders up 2-0. Norwich came right back in the top of the second inning scoring two runs on an Abby Belcher (Winthrop, MA) triple that drove in two runs.

Rivier, not wanting to be outdone, came back in the bottom of the second and put up three more runs to take a 5-2 lead. Peacock hit her second homerun of the game, this time an in the park shot to center field, to drive in two runs behind Amanda Thornton (Hanover, MA) who started the inning off with a double and was driven in by Myranda Knight (Anson, ME) before Peacock cleared the bases.

Rivier pitcher Hillary Tarr (North Easton, MA) settled into a groove and held the Cadets scoreless for the rest of the game, going 6 innings while allowing eight hits and two runs with five strikeouts. The Raiders wanted to ensure Tarr would pick up the win and in the bottom of the sixth inning made it happen. A double by Peacock to lead off the inning followed by an error in left field on a ball hit by Roy scored one run. Senior captain Amanda Ryan (W. Bridgewater, MA) then doubled to bring in Roy to make it 8-2 and up stepped Mercier to the plate who hit an absolute bomb to center field to clear the bases and push the score to 10-2 and put the eight run rule into affect which allowed for the game to end an inning early, giving the Raiders the win.

The Raiders are scheduled to play at Mount Ida on Friday and will watch the weather to see if the game will be played.