Garden City, N.Y. - Needing a tall task and two victories over the host Adelphi University Panthers to win the NCAA East 2 Regional Tournament, the Molloy College softball team instead saw its season end at the hands of Adelphi. The final score of the game was 3-1, with the Panthers winning the Sub-Regional in an eight-inning affair at Janet L. Ficke Field in Garden City.
The game was scoreless through the first two innings, with both squads obtaining a run in the third frame of action. Adelphi loaded the bases with one out thanks to a single, walk and hit batter before sophomore Nicole Camera (Metuchen, N.J.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home the game's first run.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Lions had runners on the corners and two outs for sophomore Brianna Dalton (Northampton, Pa.). On a 2-2 pitch, Dalton hit one back towards the pitcher's circle that was misplayed by Adelphi pitcher Lindsay Mapes (Mount Vernon, Ohio); freshman Kaitlyn Snyder (Smithtown, N.Y.) scored to knot the game up at one-all.
The score remained tied into the bottom of the seventh inning, when Molloy had its best chance to win the game and force a deciding contest later in the day. Junior Erin Clinton (Long Beach, Calif.) led off the inning with a walk and Snyder reached on a fielder's choice with Clinton safe at second. After two outs were recorded, Mapes intentionally walked Milan Botte (Reston, Va.) to load the bases for Dalton. The sophomore, however, could not drive in the game-winning run and so the contest would go to extra innings.
In the eighth, Adelphi's Brenna Martini (Hartford, Conn.) was walked to lead off the frame; Camera then slugged a 1-1 pitch from junior Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) over the right-center field fence to put the Panthers ahead by a 3-1 score. Molloy attempted to respond in the bottom of the frame but after a leadoff single from Alexandra Russo (Coram, N.Y.), the Lions were retired in order by Mapes to end the game.
Molloy ends the season with an overall record of 35-24 and the 2016 East Coast Conference postseason championship.
Provided by the Molloy Sports Information Department.
