Maritime Loses Extra-Inning Thriller in Curry Sweep

MILTON, Mass. – Fresh off their first MASCAC victory in 13 years, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy softball team got off to a great start against Curry College scoring first and rallying four times as the game went on, but dropped an extra-inning 9-8 thriller in game one. In the nightcap, the Colonels used put up two crooked numbers in a 10-2 victory.

Game One
The Buccaneers took advantage of two Curry errors in the first and Jill Corazzini stroked a RBI-single to give Maritime the lead. After the hosts evened on an unearned run of their own in the bottom of the frame, the Bucs once more struck back, turning another miscue into a run on a two-bagger by Melissa Cochrane.

Cochrane then settled in on the rubber, holding Curry scoreless in the second and third. The visitors then added a run in the fourth after Sarah Monteiro and Kaylene Murphy singled with one out to set up Carli Thomas. Thomas ripped a safety to left and Monteiro crossed home to make it 3-1.

The Colonels then took advantage of two extremely rare base-on-balls issued by Cochrane and got back-to-back RBI-hits from Madeline Critch and Mikayla Lambert. The blows moved the score to three apiece through four.

As has been the case increasingly in the middle part of the season, the Bucs replied quickly. After two quick outs, Curry starter Lambert departed in favour of Allison May and Kristin Arthur gave her a harsh welcome as she laced a one-base hit to left. An error put runners on the corners and Monteiro drove Arthur with a single of her own. That was all for the Bucs, who were ahead only briefly.

Yet again, the Colonels retaliated, opening the bottom of the fifth with a single and a double. A grounder would score one, while the second took home on a wild pitch before Cochrane seized control and got three outs.

After putting two on with one in the top of the sixth, Curry took a 6-4 lead on some bold baserunning. May singled and moved all the way to third on a sacrifice, scampering home on a sacrifice fly to the left side.

With only three outs to score twice, the Blue-and-Gold got to work. Arthur walked, continuing an eight-game streak where she has hit .294/.400/.353 and earned more playing time. Madison Coughlin traded places with her on a fielder's choice and May induced a fly-out to push Maritime to its final out.

Murphy would have none of that, driving a single to center field to score Coughlin. Cochrane continued the rally with her own one-base hit, racing to second when the throw went home. Thomas then blooped a ball behind shortstop in shallow left center that went off the glove of the second-baseman for an error as Murphy scored to tie the game. A perfect throw would catch Cochrane at the plate as she attempted the go-ahead run, but the Bucs had pulled off another rally.

Cochrane had no trouble with Curry in the bottom of the seventh and the game went to extra innings. Following tiebreaker rules, Thomas was placed on second and Madison Ovadek quickly put runners on the corners with a hit. Lucia Buzzell then ran for Ovadek and took off for second, while Thomas stole home to put Maritime ahead, 7-6.

Rachel Gardner dropped a bunt and claimed first on an error by the catcher as Buzzell sprinted home. With three outs to add another insurance run, May buckled down to get three outs in-a-row and send the game to the bottom of the eighth.

Curry bunted the tiebreaker runner to third for the first out, but Cochrane induced a weak bouncer for out number two. May atoned for her mound work with a double to the wall in left to put the hosts within two, but it was backstop Michaela Colleran who stuck the dagger in, homering to left field for the walkoff victory.

Critch, Lambert, May, and Colleran all had a brace of hits for the victors, who totalled 13 hits, adding three walks and failing to strike out. Curry's two pitchers were 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. In the circle, Lambert went 4 2/3, scattering five hits and no walks with an unearned run, whiffing six. May was fortunate to earn the win after surrendering five runs, one earned, on seven hits and a walk in her 3 1/3.

Meanwhile, Cochrane (1-10) went all 7 2/3 in a valiant effort. She was backed by 12 hits, third-most this season by Maritime. Two of those hits were her own, while Thomas, Ovadek, Monteiro, and Murphy all had a pair themselves.

Game Two
After a game of incredible comebacks by both teams, it was all Curry in the rubber match, though after the adrenaline of game one, it took several innings for either club to get going.

Down 1-0 in the third, Cochrane laced her second double of the game, this time to right field. A grounder moved her over and Cochrane came around on a sacrifice fly to briefly tie the game at one.

From that point on, it was all Colonels. Colleran ripped another four-bagger in the bottom half of the frame, driving in two, and a third run came around on an error.

Maritime clawed back a run in the fourth after a Corazzini leadoff hit was followed by an error, but the two-run deficit did not last. Curry used two hits, two miscues, and two free passes to score four runs in the fourth.

An inning later, a Talia Forte double was followed by a walk and a Sophia Marchant RBI-single and Colleran provided her second walkoff in two games with a run-scoring hit as the game came to an end on the mercy rule.

Rebecca Black (7-10) earned the win, allowing one earned run in four innings, with no walks or Ks. Taylor Newcomb tossed a scoreless fifth as Curry pounded out 10 hits and took four walks. Jocelyn Dimon and Forte joined Colleran with two base knocks, but the Colonels' star catcher stole the show with a 2-for-3, five RBI performance that gave her four hits and seven ribbies on the day.

Cochrane was 2-for-3 as the Bucs had seven hits, but could not put together an extended rally. Thomas (0-4) took the loss, tossing 4 2/3 innings.

The softballers are right back in action tomorrow, travelling to Bridgewater State for a MASCAC twinbill starting at 3:30 p.m. Statistics will be available online. On Thursday, the Bucs return home for a doubleheader with Pine Manor, also at half-past three.

Make sure to bookmark www.mmabucs.com and get the inside scoop on Facebook and Twitter @mmabuccaneers. Plus, check out our new Instagram @massmaritimebuccaneers.

Gabriel Fidler, Sports Information Associate