VIERA, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team played a pair of neutral site games on Monday at the Spring Games. The Sailfish played one game against D'Youville and Concordia St. Paul.
PBA took the first game of the day after an offensive outburst. A pair of home runs highlighted PBA's 8-2 win over the Saints. PBA's second game against Concordia St.-Paul went down to the wire. PBA led 2-1 late in the game, but the Golden Bears put up runs in the sixth and seventh innings to walk it off with a 3-2 win.
The 'Fish play two more games on Tuesday. The have a rematch with Concordia St.-Paul before facing off against Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Game One – PBA: 8, DY: 2
The 'Fish racked up 12 hits and drew seven walks, hitting a season high of eight runs, while their pitchers tallied six strikeouts and allowed just five hits.
The Sailfish set the pace right from the first inning.
Kaitlyn Campbell led off with a single, followed by a stolen base that immediately put pressure on the Saints' defense.
Dianna Montidoro and Maseda each contributed singles, with Maseda bringing Campbell home. A passed ball allowed Montidoro to score, and O'Brien's fielder's choice tacked on a third run, establishing an early advantage.
Savanna Lee marked her first RBI of the season during this offensive drive.
The game broke open in the sixth inning when the Sailfish unleashed their power at the plate.
Larken Maseda and
Marli Szierer each launched solo home runs to left and right center, respectively, extending the lead.
Miranda Rollins chipped in with an RBI single, driving in
Lauren O'Brien who had earned a walk earlier in the inning, rounding out a three-run surge to solidify the 8-2 score.
Maseda shined with three hits, including a homer, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Szierer added her own home run, with one hit, one RBI, and one run. Montidoro contributed two hits and scored twice, also stealing a base.
Rylee Little pitched a complete game, allowing no earned runs over seven innings and striking out six. Little faced 30 batters, surrendering 5 hits and 3 walks.
Game Two – CSP: 3, PBA: 2
The 'Fish managed 10 hits, but three errors and leaving nine runners stranded were their undoing against the Golden Bears.
Concordia-St. Paul's game-deciding rally came in the seventh inning, with an RBI double to right center breaking the tie and earning the win for the Golden Bears.
Earlier, the Sailfish showed spirit in the fifth, initiated by
Miranda Rollins' bunt single.
Kaitlyn Campbell and
Dianna Montidoro followed up with singles to load the bases.
Larken Maseda's sacrifice fly tied the game, and
Marli Szierer's RBI single through the left side briefly gave PBA a 2-1 lead.
In a tense final inning, the 'Fish tried to rally with a leadoff single by Rollins and a walk to Montidoro, but a strikeout and a pop-up left the tying run stranded at third.
Dianna Montidoro shone with two hits. Maseda also contributed with two hits and an RBI, while catching a runner stealing.
Lauren Allen pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run over 6.1 innings on nine hits. Rollins added two hits and scored once, displaying strong defense with four assists at second base.
