Rockville Centre, N.Y. - A pinch-hit home run in the 11th inning propelled the top-seeded softball team ahead of third-ranked Mercy College in the first of two elimination games played this afternoon at Bob Klein Field as part of the second day of action in the 2023 East Coast Conference Championship. Molloy's offense then put up a second-straight game of 14 hits to top fourth-seeded Queens College for the right to compete for the ECC crown tomorrow (May 6) against St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Game One: Molloy 4, Mercy 2 (11 Innings)
- Both teams had runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but it was Mercy that would strike first, scoring two runs on a double down the left field line from the ECC Rookie of the Year Cayla Crawford.
- Molloy, the visitors on the scoreboard, would cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth as freshman Mae Savage plated sophomore Cheralyn Dusharme with a double to right center field.
- Junior Chrissie Huhn would lead off the fifth inning with a triple to the center field wall before scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game.
- The game remained tied into the bottom of the seventh inning when a single up the middle from Victoria Seppala seemingly won the game for the Mavericks, but senior Steph Conrade made a perfect throw from center field to get Hailey Puglia out at the plate and preserve the Lions' chances.
- Conrade and freshman Emily McGurk would both flash the leather in the ninth inning, making fantastic catches at center and shortstop, respectively, to keep the game tied.
- Two singles, a sacrifice bunt, stolen base, and a walk loaded the bases for the Mavericks in the bottom of the 10th inning, but graduate student Amanda King worked out of the jam with a strikeout to Sydney Johnston.
- Senior Akemi Poyer would lead off the 11th inning with a right field single before a pinch-hit sacrifice bunt from senior Emma Bachman moved her to second base.
- Natalie Moussa's game-winning home run gave the Lions the 4-2 advantage before the defense shut down Mercy in the home half of the inning.
- Conrade, Huhn, graduate student Alex Burns, Dusharme, and Poyer each tallied two hits in the contest with Moussa's two RBIs leading the squad.
- King matched a season-high eight strikeouts in the circle, allowing just two earned runs on 12 hits to improve to 13-10 on the season
Game Two: Molloy 7, Queens 3
- The Molloy bats went right to work in the bottom of the first inning, with a Burns double setting up McGurk for an RBI triple down the right field line.
- The Lions plated three runs on four singles in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
- The Knights got on the board in the third after taking advantage of defensive miscues from the Molloy defense, scoring on a throwing error and a sacrifice fly to come within one, 3-2.
- Huhn led off the home half of the inning with an infield single before a McGurk sent the ball over the left field fence to make it 5-2 in favor of the Lions.
- A lead-off single to Burns and a walk to McGurk set the table for an RBI single from King to put Molloy in front, 6-2.
- The cardinal and white added a seventh run on an RBI ground out from Burns in the sixth.
- The Knight would score once in the seventh, but junior Brianna Macias forced three ground outs to earn her 13th win of the season.
- Macias struck out three batters and allowed just two earned runs on five hits.
- McGurk went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Lions. Conrade, Burns, and Bachman each tallied two hits with Conrade stealing two bases.
Up Next
The top-seeded Lions will face second-seeded Saint Thomas Aquinas College tomorrow (May 6) at 12:00 p.m. for the ECC Championship from Bob Klein Field.
Provided by the Molloy Sports Information Department.
