EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette softball rallied for a 12-5 game-two victory and a doubleheader split with St. Peter's on Wednesday evening. The Leopards dropped game one, 10-3, in extra innings, despite leading the game through six innings.
In the opener, the Leopards scored single runs in the first three innings.
Grace Harvey doubled in the first run and Lafayette also scored on a first-and-third steal and a double-play play ball for the 3-0 lead through three.
Leopard starter
Kinzi Van Wyk and the Leopard defense held that margin until the top of the seventh when St. Peter's pushed across three runs to knot the game at 3-3 and send it to extras.
The visitors belted out seven runs on six hits off Lafayette reliever
Morrigan Gardiner in the eighth inning. Courtney Fraher broke open the contest with a two-run single in the eventual 10-3 final.
Game two featured a similar start, as the Leopards led from the outset.
Kaili Reitano began the second inning with a home run and
Natasha Miner knocked in a second run with a double as Lafayette led 2-0.
In the third inning, the Peacocks knotted the game at 2-2. In the bottom half, the back and forth continued, with Reitano singling up the middle to hand the Leopards the 3-2 lead.
St. Peter's tied things up with another run in the fourth, aided by a pair of Leopard errors.
Lafayette broke open the game with four runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning.
Harlie Bickett, Van Wyk and
Paige Sandidge (3-for-4) all singled in runs while the Maroon and White added another run on a first-and-third steal.
Leading 9-5, Lafayette padded its lead with Harvey's run-scoring triple.
In the sixth, St. Peter's threatened, putting its first two batters on board against Leopard starter
Kailee Sawai. Lafayette coach Caitlyn del la Haba called on
Jacqueline Cal to come on in relief in the circle. Cal retired the next three batters to end the threat and keep the 8-5 lead intact.
As the game moved to the sixth, daylight became scarce when the Leopards looked to close out the game with a rally. Lafayette scored four runs on three hits. Miner (walk) and Bickett (single) each drove in runs. Harvey nearly ended the game via mercy rule when she lifted an offering off the wall, just missing a home run. Following the play, the game was called due to darkness in a 12-5 final.
Sawai had a solid outing in the victory, allowing three earned on five hits over five innings. Cal collected her first save of the season in relief of Sawai.
The Leopards will have the weekend off from Patriot League competition, returning to play one week from today when they host Wagner is a doubleheader.
