SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American International College softball team dropped a pair two Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division foe Adelphi University Saturday afternoon, falling 9-4 and 4-3 at Judy Groff Field.
With the losses AIC falls to 15-17 overall and 5-7 in divisional play, while with the sweep Adelphi improves to 25-15 and 10-3.
The Yellow Jackets hosted their National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) Strikeout Cancer game. All proceeds collected will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
The Panthers jumped on AIC early in game one, plating eight runs in the first two innings that included a grand-slam by Stephanie Staiano in the second.
The Yellow Jackets cut into the lead in the home half of the second with two runs. Senior Jorrdin Miller (Garfield, N.J.) led off with a single to center field. Freshman Kaley Kempf (Oxford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch and sophomore Alexa DiLeo (Cheshire, Conn.) drew a walk to load the bases.
With AIC senior Lyndsey Leatourneau (Paxton, Mass.) pinch ran for Kempf at second, junior Kristen Steele (Newburgh, N.Y.) grounded out to third base, but it was enough to send Miller home from third. On the ensuing at bat, pitcher Sarah Beliveau (Bristol, Conn.) grounded out up the middle, but plated Letourneau from second to make it 8-2 Panthers after two.
Adelphi added a run in the third as Megan Lewis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an easy run.
Down seven in the sixth, Miller came up to bat with Mainez on first and roped a shot over the right field wall for her first homer of the season to cut the lead to five, 9-4, but that is where it stayed as Panther started Kristen Mapes closed it out.
AIC starter Jillian Bedard (Meriden, Conn.) suffered the loss, falling to 4-6 this season. Beliveau pitched threw 5.2 innings, scattering six hits, but allowing zero runs.
In game two, the Jackets fell behind 1-0 in the second with a Lewis run plated with a Danielle Cutuli sacrifice bunt,
The Jackets snuck ahead in the third with two unearned runs from freshmen Kayla Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) and Ashley Hughes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) as AIC capitalized on a Panther throwing error.
Each team scored a run in the fourth to keep it a one-run game with AIC up, 3-2. AIC notched their third run with a Hughes single up the middle to plate Letourneau in pinch-running duties.
Adelphi clawed back to the top of the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, leading off with solo blasts from the NE-10's leading hitter, Brenna Martini, and followed it up with one from Nicole Camera. Right-hander Alyssa Camargo (Covina, Camargo) struck out two in the inning, but the damage was done.
Camargo (8-7) struck out seven batters, moving to 90 for the season and eclipsing her previous season-high of 86 set last year. All four runs were earned off seven hits, she walked just two batters. Hughes was the lone Jacket to record multiple hits, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI.
The two return to the diamond tomorrow, Sunday, April 17 for a noon start at the Groff. Prior to the game will be a ceremony for the four Yellow Jacket seniors.
