UTICA, New York – After five games to cap off day two of the three-day, double-elimination tournament, Husson University and Cazenovia College are left to compete for the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament title.
Husson goes into the championship game with two wins after defeating Thomas College in game 7 in extra innings on Monday. Cazenovia was able to stay alive after playing three games for the day and securing their ticket to the championship.
Game 5: Cazenovia 11, SUNY Cobleskill 2
Cazenovia was able to survive the first elimination game of the day after a walk off, four-run home run from Wildcat pitcher Morgan Marl in the bottom of the fifth to end the game, 11-2. Marl would also get the win at the mound with five innings pitched and holding the Cobleskill offense to six hits, two earned runs, and one walk, while striking out four batters.
SUNY Cobleskill would be the first to cross home plate after scoring two runs in the first inning. Olivia DeMott reached on a single down the left field line, later scoring the first run after an RBI double by Alexis Miranda. Later that inning, Miranda scored off an RBI single to center field from Emily Lutz. Cazenovia tied the game after scoring a run each in the first and second inning. Back-to-back doubles from Olivia Simone and Marl would give the Wildcats the lead in the third, with Simone scoring the run and Marl charting the RBI. Cazenovia would score three runs in the fourth and four in the third to end the game in a five-inning mercy rule.
Morgan Marl and Sydney Burk would both be perfect at the plate going 3-for-3 while Sarah Penny finished the day 3-for-4. Cobleskill’s Emily Lutz was also dominant at the plate for the Fighting Tigers going 2-for-2.
Game 6: SUNY Poly 12, UMaine-Presque Isle 2
SUNY Poly earned the win over UMaine-Presque Isle after defeating the Owls in the second elimination game, 12-2. The Wildcats were able to score their 12 runs off of 10 hits and hold the Owls offense to two runs and five hits.
The Owls’ pitcher Hayley Saylor scored first for Presque Isle after reaching on a walk and scoring later off an RBI double from Dalaney Anfinson. Big performances from Kimberly Birmingham and Kelly Powell would allow SUNY Poly to answer back and score five runs in the bottom of the first. Birmingham reached on a two-run RBI triple while Powell sent a shot over the fence with a three-run homerun. The two would add to their RBI tally in the second after a two-run RBI double from Birmingham and a sac fly from Powell scoring Birmingham.
UMPI would shorten its run deficit to five after sac fly to right field from Zoe Stewart, scoring Dalaney Anfinson. However, the Poly offense would extend its lead to 10 with three unearned runs in the bottom of the third and ultimately ending the game in the fifth inning. Trinity Critelli earned the win for the Wildcats after four innings of pitching, striking out six Owls and only allowing four hits.
Game 7: Husson 2, Thomas 1
A battle between the two Maine programs would end with Husson advancing to the championship game after coming out on top, 2-1, in extra innings over Thomas.
Both Husson and Thomas’ defense proved to be difficult to get anything past in the low scoring game. The Terriers were able to get on the board first, after capitalizing on a fielding error by Husson in the bottom of the second. The Eagles came up with a run in the fifth inning to tie things up at 1-1. Husson was able to do so after an RBI walk by Katie Raymond, scoring Kiara McLeod. After a scoreless remainder of regulation, the two teams would find themselves heading into the top of the eight. With Katie Raymond placed at second, Olivia McCarty was able to do her job and move Raymond to third off a sacrifice bunt. Bulla McCabe would then get the RBI for the winning run after sending a sac fly to centerfield and scoring Raymond. Thomas was able to move its runner placed at second off a single through the left side, but a line out to Husson shortstop Kenize Dore would end Thomas’ rally and the game.
McKenna Smith and Kelsey Currier both pitched eight solid innings for their teams. Currier would end her stat line with seven strikeouts while only allowing four hits, three walks, and one earned run. Husson’s McKenna Smith would get her second post season win in the circle after 12 strikeouts, zero walks, five hits, and zero earned runs.
Game 8: Cazenovia 13, SUNY Poly 10
The third elimination game of the day ended with Cazenovia beating SUNY Poly, 13-10, but not without some push back from SUNY Poly. Both teams would not only score in double digits, but make it a hit parade with 13 hits from Cazenovia and 10 from SUNY Poly.
SUNY Poly got things rolling after a single up the middle from Maddelyn Hoehn and a walk issued to Ava Faragon. The two would cross home plate later that inning off an RBI single by Aeron Hamm. Poly would end the inning with four runs. Cazenovia was able to cut its lead to two at the end of the inning and later take the lead in the third after taking advantage of some errors by SUNY Poly. After a pair of lead changes, SUNY Poly’s Kelly Powell helped the Wildcats pull out ahead with a two-run RBI homerun to make the score 10-8 in the top of the fourth.
After tying up the game, 10-10, in the fourth, Cazenovia was able seal the deal in the bottom of the sixth with three runs off of three hits. Haley Geistler would get the start in the circle for Cazenovia, but Sarah Penny would come away with the win after four innings of relief.
Game 9: Cazenovia 11, Thomas 3
With a chance to advance to the championship game hanging in the balance, Cazenovia came away victorious after defeating Thomas College, 11-3, in the final elimination game of the day. Cazenovia was able to end the game with 18 hits to their stat sheet compared to Thomas’ eight.
Going into a scoreless third inning, the Wildcats’ Alivia Turk scored the first run of the game off an RBI single up the middle from Morgan Marl. Olivia Simone would also score later in the inning after taking advantage of a throwing error by Thomas, making the score 2-0. Marl extended Cazenovia’s lead to four after hitting an RBI double in the fourth. The Terriers were able to score some runs in the fifth after an unearned two-run single by Megan Oberholzer to score Cheyenne Simpson.
Cazenovia would have its biggest inning of the game in the seventh after scoring six runs off five hits and one error, issuing only three earned runs, and three unearned. Sarah Penny would get her second win of the day after throwing a complete game, issuing four walks against eight hits, and allowing two earned runs.