In their home opener at Paolino Field on Saturday, March 21, the Roger Williams University softball team defeated Rhode Island College 2-1 in game one and 5-2 in game two.
In game one, both teams were unable to produce offense, and the game was scoreless for the first five innings. Raegen Germano from Old Tappan, NJ, the opener for Roger Williams, and the pitcher for Rhode Island College exchanged impressive performances keeping hitters off balance early.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Lucy Maurao from Holliston, MA, reached base on a walk and came around to score on an RBI single from McKenzie Foley from Hanover, MA., giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead, to break through first. Madison Moran from Attleboro, MA., doubled to left field later in the inning to score Foley and increase the lead to 2-0. In the top of the seventh inning, Rhode Island College trimmed the deficit to 2-1. Germano, however, stopped the damage and ended the game to win.
Foley led the way, going 2-for-3 game and an RBI, with Roger Williams finishing with seven hits. Nicolette Fraser from Swampscott, MA., Kayleigh O’Connor from Southington, CT, and Andie Moreira from Concord, NH each contributed a single, while Moran also recorded two hits, including her RBI double. Germano won complete-game victory, giving up just three hits and one run in seven innings, striking out six and walking one, according to the RWU Athletics Website.
Alexia Tsonis from New Bedford, MA said, “We usually play hacky sack and have chats to keep the momentum going with one another and produce in the second game from there.” Tsonis also talked about the chants from the dugout: “They are uplifting, everytime I hear them cheer for me in the batters box it’s hard not to get pumped up and nine times out of ten you produce quality hits from the motivation from your team.”
In game two, the Hawks did not take long to get on the board as Shannon Starratt from Lake George, NY, hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Maurao and Hailey Williams from Vernon, CT, giving the Hawks an early 3-0 lead. The Anchorwomen got a home run in the top of the second inning to trim the score to 3-2, but that was the closest they would get.
Madison Tucholski from Massapequa, NY, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to increase the Hawks’ lead to 4-2. In the sixth inning, Grace Forsythe from Woburn, MA, was driven in for a Hawk’s insurance run after Foley hit to left center, making it 5-2.
When asked about her strategy going into the game, Tucholski said she was focused on “staying sharp and playing strong. [Rhode Island College] is a good team so it was very important we stayed focused” She also discussed what she thought the team did well in both games: “We definitely did well with adjusting each pitcher we faced, there were multiple pitchers for both games and our hitting stayed consistent the entire time which put us on top.”
Foley led the way with another 2-for-3 performance and an RBI, with Roger Williams ending the game with six hits. Tucholski and Starratt each contributed significant home runs, making up four of the team’s five RBIs. Keira Quadros from East Providence, RI, pitched 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out three to take the victory. With just one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings, Sophia Bruno from Sandwich, MA, finished the game to earn the save, according to the RWU Athletics Website.
When asked what the team did well during both games, Joyce Maudie, the head coach, said, “Everything we needed to do to be successful I thought we did and I love the energy in our dugout, they were really supportive.”
Maudie talked about the strategy they had going into the game: “We wanted to play solid defense and get some timely hits.”
The Hawks will travel to Milton, MA. to play Curry College on Saturday, March 28th for a double header in a Conference of New England match-up.
