WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team played a nonconference doubleheader on Thursday against Central Missouri at Simpson Field.
PBA (5-12, 0-3 SSC) held off a late UCM (13-3, 0-0 MIAA) rally in the first game. The Jennies plated three runs in the seventh to make the 'Fish sweat, but
Rylee Little slammed the door shut to seal the 6-5 win. PBA had a chance down the stretch to complete the sweep in game two, but came up short, 5-3.
The Sailfish are back in action again on Monday at the Spring Games in Melbourne. PBA plays Concordia St. Paul at 4:45 before playing D'Youville at 7:00 p.m.
Game One – PBA: 6, UCM: 5
The 'Fish took advantage of two Jennies' errors, racking up three runs in both the second and third innings. PBA jumped to an early lead with a three-run burst in the second inning.
Kaitlyn Campbell's RBI single got the ball rolling, and
Dianna Montidoro's two-RBI single capitalized on UCM's defensive miscues. In the third,
Holly Frankl blasted a three-run homer, pushing the 'Fish to a 6-0 lead.
Central Missouri mounted a dramatic rally in the seventh, closing the gap with three runs. Aly Hageman's double got things going, driving in one, and Emma McCall followed with an RBI single. Kyrsten Moran capped it off with an RBI single down the left field line, but the Sailfish held on for the win.
Montidoro had a solid day with two hits and two RBIs in four trips to the plate. Frankl's three-run shot gave her three RBIs and a run scored. Campbell added two hits and an RBI in her four at-bats.
Rylee Little chipped in with a hit and a run in her three at-bats.
Game Two – UCM: 5, PBA: 2
The 'Fish made their move with an electrifying three-run fifth inning, sparked by back-to-back triples. Despite this surge, Central Missouri held their ground with strong pitching to clinch the win.
Central Missouri seized the momentum in the fifth inning with timely plays. Lexi Blackmon's sacrifice bunt and Emma McCall's sacrifice fly were pivotal, pushing their lead to 5-1. The Sailfish couldn't quite close the gap.
In the bottom of the fifth, PBA's rally began.
Marli Szierer smashed an RBI triple to center, bringing
Holly Frankl home.
Rylee Little followed up with her own RBI triple, slicing the deficit to 5-3. Little's aggressive baserunning, stealing home on a double steal, was a highlight, but the comeback fell just short. Central Missouri's defense tightened up in the final innings, keeping the 'Fish at bay.
Szierer was a standout, scoring once and driving in another with her triple. Little added flair with her triple, scoring and securing an RBI.
Lauren O'Brien was steady at the plate, going 1-for-3, while Frankl contributed with a solid 2-for-4 performance and a run scored.
Lauren Allen took the start in the circle, giving up 3 earned runs over 3 innings on 6 hits. She struck out 2 and walked 2, throwing 62 pitches with 34 strikes.
Ashlyn Storms came in for relief, pitching a scoreless inning, despite allowing 2 hits and 2 walks. Storms faced 8 batters, managing 36 pitches with an even split of strikes.
