Box Score BABSON PARK, MA – The Rowan University softball team came back to win 4-2 over Framingham State University in the first round of the NCAA Regional at Babson College on Friday.
The Profs (32-9) play host Babson College (29-13) on Saturday at 9 a.m. Babson shutout Lesley, 4-0 in the opening round. The game times have been changed due to the weather forecast. Framingham State (30-12) meets Lesley (21-18) at 11:30 a.m. and the third game follows at 2 p.m.
Catcher
Nicole Paiotti (jr. Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills) gave Rowan a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a lead off home run to left center. With two outs, pitcher
Jesse DeDomenico (fr. East Windsor, NJ/Hightstown) doubled to left center and came home on a double by first baseman Damirez Mercado (sr. Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield).
Rowan tied the score at two in the bottom of the fifth. Right fielder
Kristina Mueller (so. Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) had a single through the left side with two outs. Mueller stole second and advanced to third on center fielder
Gianna Genello's (so. West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) base hit. Shortstop
Carly Anderson (so. Nutley, NJ/Nutley) drove in Mueller and Genello with a single to right field.
Anderson ended the game with two hits (three at bats). DeDomenico went the distance on the mound for the victory. She (11-4) only gave up three hits and two runs, one earned. Right-hander Kelsi Gunarathne (so. North Providence, RI/North Providence) took the loss (16-7).
For the Rams, pinch hitter Bridget McGrail (jr. Worcester, MA/Burncoat) contributed with one hit and one RBI. Right fielder Dayna Marchant (jr. East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) and pinch runner Kirsten Dick (fr. Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) each scored one run.
Framingham State jumped out to 1-0 lead when Marchant crossed the plate on an error in the first inning. In the top of the fifth, McGrail singled up the middle, scoring Dick for a 2-0 advantage.
The national softball tournament is double elimination. The winner from each regional advances to the Super Regional, Friday-Saturday, May 19-20. The NCAA Championship Tournament is scheduled for Thursday-Tuesday, May 25-30 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK.
Rowan is making its 25th appearance and seventh straight in the NCAA postseason. Last year, the Profs finished tied for third in the NCAA Championship Tournament. Rowan has advanced to the national finals five times and finished fourth in 1994 and 1993.
Framingham State was an automatic qualifier as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Champions. It was the Rams' second MASCAC title. Framingham State was in the national tournament one time before in 2007.
The NCAA Regional at Babson schedule and results are below.
Friday, May 12
Game 1: #2 Rowan University 4, #3 Framingham State University 2
Game 2: #1 Babson College 4, #4 Lesley University 0
Saturday, May 13
Game 3: Rowan University (32-9) vs. Babson College (29-13), 9 a.m.
Game 4: Framingham State University (30-12) vs. Lesley University (21-18), 11:30 a.m.
Game 5: winner of game 4 vs. loser of game 3, 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 14
Game 6: winner of game 3 vs. winner of game 5, noon
Game 7: same teams as game 6 (if necessary), 2:30 p.m.
