Seahawks celebrate two walk-off wins

NEWPORT, R.I. (March 27, 2022) - Salve Regina University softball (8-3) improved to 3-1 in extra-inning games and added two more walk-off wins in their first home outing at Toppa Field in 2022. The Seahawks rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 2-1 final in Game One versus the Anchorwomen of Rhode Island College, and then a 4-3 final in Game Two resulted from a bases-loaded walk. Freshman outfielder Katie Ramos (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) had the last Seahawk at bat in both game-ending dramas. Her classmate Alex Kelly (East Meadow, N.Y.) earned the pitching victories in both outcomes, as the starter in Game One and reliever in Game Two, to improve to 6-1 on the season.

Game One
Starting pitchers Alex Kelly (East Meadow, N.Y.) and Abby Kidd (Granby, Conn.) matched zeroes on the scoreboard through seven innings. Kidd limited the Seahawks to just four basehits, all singles, including two from senior utility player Lauren Packer (Manchester, Conn.). Seahawk center fielder Francesca Rubino (Burlington, Mass.) robbed Anchorwomen of extra basehits and potential early inning runs snaring leadoff drives from Katelyn Ashe (Colchester, Conn.) in the Top 2nd and from Paige Jones (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) in the Top 5th. In the Top 6th, Seahawk second baseman Wiss Chiappetta (Perkasie, Pa.) thwarted a run-scoring play and turned a leadoff double by Alexis Boyce (Wolcott, Conn.) into a double play when she snagged a line drive off the bat of Amanda Conti (Lincoln, R.I.).

Jones was placed at second base as the extra-inning runner in the Top 8th for the Anchorwomen (2-4) and scored the game's first run on a sac fly from Cassidy Schoen (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.). Avery Katz (Brookfield, Conn.) and Sarah Mickelson (New Milford, Conn.) had reached on singles to load the bases before Schoen's RBI at bat. Kelly got a strikeout and pop-up to shortstop Nikki Vanelli (Quakertown, Pa.) to limit the damage to one run.

Abbie McDonough (Taunton, Mass.) stood on second base when Salve Regina started its eighth inning at the plate. Pinch hitting for Rubino, Jacey Cosciello (Seymour, Conn.) singled to center. Vanelli followed with a bunt single to load the bases before a bouncer back to Kidd in the circle forced McDonough out at the plate. Ramos stepped into the batter's box with the bases loaded and one out. She swung on a 3-2 pitch and grounded a slow dribbler past Kidd to the second baseman. Cosciello beat the throw to the plate for the tying run and Vanelli raced home with the winning run after the catcher chased down the errant throw.

Game Two
Rubino once again denied an Anchorwomen leadoff batter of an extra basehit with a sensational catch in center field, but Rhode Island College did score two runs in the opening frame when Mickelson and Katrina Kazen (Warwick, R.I.) had back-to-back hits with Kazen taking third on her RBI double down the left field line. Ashe brought Kazen home with her deep sacrifice fly to Rubino.

In the Top 2nd, Sophia Strazza (Wilton, Conn.) made a great decision at shortstop to glove a grounder in the hole and in the same motion flip to Kylie Lanteri (Berlin, Conn.) at third for the force when there was just one out and runners at first and second. Kelly, now in relief of starter Isabelle Michaud (Branford, Conn.), ended the threat by deflecting a smash by Kazen to Strazza for a 1-6-3 play.

Ramos led off the Seahawk 3rd with a double to right-center gap and later scored on a muffed throw to first base. The Seahawks loaded the bases with no outs that same inning but could not push across the equalizer.

Strazza and Rubino had back-to-back singles in the 4th and moved up on Ramos' sac bunt. Drew Ceppetelli (Barrington, N.H.) singled sharply to third base to tie the score (2-2). After Morganti Bello (Corte Madera, Calif.) bounced back to starting pitcher Tatiana Burcy (Boston, Mass.), Kidd returned to the circle for relief work. She escaped the jam by getting Packer on a grounder to Conti at short.

The Seahawks took their first lead in regulation on the day in the 6th with a Bello sac fly that scored Rubino who had reached on a one-out walk, moved to second on a Ramos single, and then to third base after an infield error. Schoen scored the tying run in the Top 7th after leading off with a single and moving to third on a double by Boyce. Boyce was erased from the base paths on another fine play by Strazza.

In the Seahawk 7th, pinch hitter Emily Lane (Tinton Falls, N.J.) was hit by a pitch and then Sam Franceschi (East Haven, Conn.), re-entered as the runner, advanced to third on a wild pitch and throwing error. After a strikeout, Salve Regina loaded the bases on a walk to Cosciello and a bunt single for Strazza. Kidd induced an infield fly from Rubino for the second out before a 3-2 pitch to Ramos sailed high for an RBI base on balls.