Bates Closes Florida Trip with Sweep of Brockport, Ursinus

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Bates softball capped its Florida trip in style on Friday, sweeping a doubleheader at the Fortune Road Complex with a 2-1 walk-off win over Brockport followed by a 4-1 victory against Ursinus.

GAME ONE

Bates opened the day with a hard-fought, walk-off victory, manufacturing just enough offense to edge Brockport, 2-1.

The Bobcats broke through in the second inning when LF Sienna Pietrasiewicz walked, moved into scoring position on a single by RF Emily Kennedy, and then stole home on the backend of a doubele steal to give Bates a 1-0 lead .

Brockport (2-5) answered in the fourth, capitalizing on a Bates error to tie the game at 1-1, but the Bobcat pitching staff took over from there.

Isabella Albro (ND) allowed just one unearned run over four innings, striking out four, before Delaney Rankin (2-2) shut the door with three hitless innings and four strikeouts in relief .

In the seventh, Bates strung together three straight singles from Kennedy, 2B Maddy Miller, and 3B Emma Yen. Yen's bunt forced a throwing error that allowed Kennedy to score the winning run and seal the walk-off victory.

Kennedy and Miller led the offense with two hits apiece.

Makenna Hart (0-2) took the loss for the Golden Eagles (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K).

GAME TWO

The Bobcats carried that momentum into the finale, using a three-run fourth inning to complete the sweep with a 4-1 win over Ursinus (5-9).

Bates got on the board early in the first inning on an RBI groundout from C Isabel Bettencourt, scoring RF Maya Lee.

The game turned in the fourth. Pietrasiewicz and DP Misora Hashiramoto singled to start the rally, Miller followed with a bunt single, and Yen delivered an RBI knock. Lee added a sacrifice fly, and SS Ella Maher capped the inning with an RBI double to extend the lead to 4-0 .

That cushion was plenty for the pitching staff.

Haley Alden (2-0) earned the win with four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three. Claire Ballard worked the final three innings, allowing one run to secure the victory . Christa Andrusiewicz (3-4) went the distance in the circle for Ursinus (7.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K).

Maher and Yen each tallied two hits as Bates totaled nine hits in the win.

The Bobcats (5-4) return north for their next action as they prepare to host Babson College this Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. for a non-conference D.H. on Lafayette Street Field (weather permitting).