May 7, 2009
BEVERLY, Mass. - Springfield College scored three runs in the top of the second inning to help No. 7-seeded Pride upset the No. 2-seeded Rhode Island College Anchorwomen in the final game on day one of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Regionals held on the campus of Endicott College. The Pride (21-22) received a complete game from starter Samantha Rhodes (Mendon, Mass.) who struck out six Anchorwomen (40-6) en route to her 13th win of the season.
Springfield jumped out to an early lead as the Pride scored three runs in the top of the second for a quick 1-0 lead. Following a lead-off walk and a hit-batsman, Springfield's Amanda Novak (Cos Cob, Conn.) singled to right field to load the bases. Tess Gagliano (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) singled in the first run of the game, chasing RIC's Jenna Deveines (Lowville, N.Y.) after just one inning of work. The Pride pushed their second run across on a fielder's choice and scored their final run of the inning on an RBI groundout by Angela Atkins (East Haddam, Conn.).
The Anchorwomen responded in their half of the second when Chelsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) crushed a 1-2 offering over the fence in right field to cut into the deficit, 3-1.
Springfield would get that run back in the third when Gagliano struck again with an RBI single up the middle to push the cushion back to three runs at 4-1.
RIC would threaten again in the bottom of the fifth when Kelli McCartin (Cranston, R.I.) drove in a run with a single to right centerfield. McCartin would steal second and move into scoring position, trailing just 4-2, but Springfield's Rhodes struck out Amanda Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) to end the inning. That would be as close as the Anchorwomen would get as the Pride tacked on one more run in the top of the seventh and Rhodes closed the door on the upset, taking the game 5-2.
Rhodes pitched seven innings while giving up just two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Gagliano ended the day going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI while Atkins had the other RBI for Springfield while going 1-for-4 with a run.
Deveines took the loss for RIC despite just going one inning and giving up two hits and three runs (two earned). Amanda Berard (Swansea, Mass.) pitched the final six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out seven. Panarelli finished with a 2-for-3 day with an RBI and run scored. McCartin finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The Pride move onto face the Coast Guard Academy in a second round matchup of the winner's bracket on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. at the Endicott Softball Complex with the winner moving on to face the winner of Emerson College and Tufts. The Anchorwomen will faceoff with Bridgewater State College in the loser's bracket at 12:00 p.m. to move on and face the loser of the Emerson/Tufts game.
