BRIDGEPORT, Conn. The American International College softball team split at the University of Bridgeport in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon at Seaside Park, downing UB in the opener, 4-2, but falling in extras of game two, 3-2.
With the split AIC moves to 11-12, while UB becomes 8-20 overall.
Yellow Jacket junior pitcher Alyssa Camargo (Covina, Calif.) was dealing in game one. The right-hander threw all seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters. It is the third time Camargo has struck out 10 or more and the second instance this season. She moves to 6-5 in the 2016 campaign.
The Purple Knights got on the board first, an unearned run scored by Kerri Agrela who reached on a fielder's choice. Knight Imane Alou Issa also reached on a fielder's choice and moved into scoring position with a thievery of second, but Camargo got Ashley Hessler swinging to end the second.
The Jackets were able to knot it up in the fourth. Senior Jorrdin Miller (Garfield, N.J.) singled to right field and was able to scamper to second with a Jamie Mainez (Redlands, Calif.) sacrifice. Miller took third on a wild pitch, but was unable to go home on the ensuing Alexa DiLeo (Cheshire, Conn.) fly-out to nearby left field.
With two outs, junior Kristen Steele (Newburgh, N.Y.) reached on an error by the third baseman and Miller scurried home to tie it at one apiece midway through the fourth.
In the home half of the inning, Jenna DiLorenzo singled to open the inning for UB, but teammate Meghan O'Leary popped out to senior second baseman Lyndsey Letourneau (Paxton, Mass.) who doubled her up on the bag. Camargo got the final Knight out looking to end the frame.
AIC went to work in the fifth. Senior leadoff batter Jenna Costa (Turners Falls, Mass.) opened with a triple followed by a ball put in play by junior Keymell Cartwright (Johnstown, Ohio). Freshman Kayla Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) popped up to the pitcher for two outs, but the Jackets kept plugging away.
AIC rookie Kaley Kempf (Oxford, Conn.) drew a walk and was pinch ran for by Letourneau. Miller proceeded to double to right center, scoring Costa and Cartwright and moving Letourneau to third. Mainez grounded out to short, but was able to send Letourneau home to complete a three-run inning and give their starter some insurance.
Camargo stranded two Purple Knights in the fifth and got them all in the sixth before a minor glitch in the seventh. Trailing 4-1, Kamryn Beach sent a solo shot over the left field wall to open the inning, but Camargo struck out the final two batters to end a solid outing.
In game two, AIC junior pitcher Jillian Bedard (Meriden, Conn.) threw six strong innings, allowing zero earned off just three hits while striking out six, but errors doomed the Jackets, helping three Knights cross home plate including the game winner in the eighth.
With a runner on second, Agrela singled to left center field off freshman Sarah Beliveau (Bristol, Conn.) for the walk-off win. Beliveau took the loss despite giving up no earned in 1.1 innings, moving to 3-3 this season.
The Jackets scored singles runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Miller singled in junior Shannon Millane (Ellington, Conn.) for the first run and freshman Ashley Hughes (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) notched her first career homerun in the fifth. Hughes was 2-3 in the game, while Kempf went 2-4 from the plate. Miller finished the day 3-7 with three runs batted in and a run scored.
AIC is next slated to play a twinbill Saturday, April 9 at Southern Connecticut State for a Northeast-10 Divisional clash. First pitch with the Owls is slated for noon from New Haven, Conn.
