Old Westbury, N.Y. – A two-out opposite-field home run by Milan Botte (Reston, Va.) in the top of the ninth inning plus stellar relief pitching from Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J.) guided the Molloy College softball team to an emphatic and thrilling 5-4 extra-inning victory over LIU Post in the first game of the East Coast Conference softball tournament on Thursday (Apr. 28) in Old Westbury on the campus of NYIT. The win moves No. 3 Molloy into the winner's bracket game which will take place Friday (Apr. 29) at 10 a.m.
Molloy struck first in the top of the second inning with a four-run outburst against LIU Post starter Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.). With one out in the frame, the Lions loaded the bases on the strength of back-to-back singles by Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) and Erin Clinton (Long Beach, Calif.) as well as a walk by Kaitlyn Snyder (Smithtown, N.Y.). After Martin induced a line-out for the second out of the inning, Martin walked Balinskas to score the game's first run. The Lions scored three runs on the next at-bat as Botte singled to right field to plate two with an errant throw from right field heading into the Pioneers' dugout to advance Balinskas home.
The four-run lead would not hold up, however, as LIU Post chipped away at a consistent pace. Freshman Ashley Melendez (Levittown, N.Y.) drove an RBI single off the base of the center-field wall in the bottom of the second inning to bring her side within three runs. In the next inning, freshman catcher Julia Seader (Piscataway, N.J.) launched a two-run home run to left-center to chase starting pitcher Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) and get LIU Post within one run at 4-3. The green and gold tied the game in the next frame on a solo home run by Mackenzie Buckley (St. James, N.Y.) from the ninth spot in the batting order off of Balinskas to level the score at 4-4.
Balinskas and LIU Post pitcher Hannah Olshevski (Robbinsville, N.J.) traded zeroes in the final three frames of regulation, navigating through jams and stranding runners to keep the score even and send the game to extra innings. Both teams put runners on base in the eighth inning, but Molloy grounded into three straight fielder's choices in the top of the frame; in the bottom of the inning, Snyder made a diving snag on a sinking liner hit by Samantha Marrone (Holbrook, N.Y.) to prevent the winning run from scoring. In the top of the ninth, Botte played hero by smashing an Olshevski offering over the left-field wall to put Molloy up 5-4. Balinskas allowed a one-out single to Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) and walked Marisa San Antonio (East Meadow, N.Y.) with two outs to give LIU Post two runners on with Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) stepping to the plate; Balinskas got two quick strikes before fanning McCoy on an off-speed throw to end the game.
Botte went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as well as the home run while Molloy had five other players pick up a hit. In relief of Hawks, Balinskas pitched five-and-two-thirds innings while allowing only three hits and striking out three batters to pick up the win.
Provided by the Molloy Sports Information Department.
