The Hamilton College softball team split a pair of games against nationally ranked opponents on Monday. The Continentals knocked off No. 22 William Paterson University 5-3 before losing 7-3 to No. 13 University of St. Thomas on the second day of their Florida trip.
William Paterson box score | St. Thomas box score
The win over the Pioneers, who entered the game undefeated, snapped an eight-game losing streak to nationally ranked opponents dating back to 2003. Hamilton rallied from a 3-0 deficit with Ellie Kiernan ’15 sparking the comeback with a game-tying three-run home run.
The Continentals (1-3 overall) put two runners on in the top of the fourth, with Kelly Leonard ’15 and Olivia Gozdz ’16 hitting one-out singles before Kiernan connected for her third career home run. Gozdz and Kiernan both finished with two hits.
Gozdz drove in the winning run in the top of the sixth, doubling home Hannah Staab ’17, who had led off with a double. The Continentals added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Becca Butler ’17 came home on a pinch-hit RBI groundout by Becca Ryan ‘17.
The Pioneers (4-1) brought the winning run to the plate with no outs in the bottom of the seventh before Leonard retired the final three batters for her first win of the season.
Kelsey Principe ‘15, who had two of William Paterson’s eight hits, walked to lead off the inning and Christina Austin ’15 followed with a single. Leonard, who allowed eight hits in the complete-game win, induced a fly ball and a pair of grounders to close out the victory.
Nicole Fryer ’17 and Melissa Swain ’15 hit run-scoring singles in William Paterson’s three-run third.
Hamilton took a 3-0 lead against the Tommies (14-2) before St. Thomas took control with a four-run third. The Continentals had just one base runner over the final four innings, with Phoebe Collins ’18 reaching on a one-out single in the sixth.
A first-inning sacrifice fly by Collins and an infield error that led to a pair of third-inning runs gave Hamilton a 3-0 lead before St. Thomas rallied.
Bianca Peterson ’15 tied the score with a three-run home run in the third and Micaela Trainor ’16 doubled home the go-ahead run two batters later to put St. Thomas on top to stay. Kendra Bowe ’15 doubled home two runs in the fifth.
Trainor had three hits for St. Thomas and Peterson and McKenzie Wergin ’15 added two apiece. The Tommies held Hamilton to five hits.
The Continentals are idle on Tuesday, March 17, before returning to action on Wednesday with a 1 p.m. game against Trinity College.
