NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - A no-hitter from sophomore Jillian Rogers (East Freetown, Mass.) in a victory over Franciscan University highlighted a sweep of a tripleheader by the Curry College softball team at the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex on Thursday.
Curry won the first game of the day 8-0 in six innings over Franciscan, before defeating Skidmore College 5-4 and UMaine Presque Isle 7-0.
Game 1 - Curry 8, Franciscan 0 (6 Innings)
The story of game one was the pitching performance of Rogers, who threw Curry's first no-hitter since Jordan Lizotte on March 18, 2016.
Rogers allowed only one baserunner in six innings pitched, when she hit the very first batter of the game with a pitch. After that, Rogers mowed down the next 18 batters she faced, striking out nine.
Curry wasted no time getting on the board on offense, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Emily Bussiere (Stow, Mass.) led off the game with a bunt base hit right in front of home plate, but the catcher's throw to first base went all the way to the right field fence, allowing Bussiere to trot all the way around to score.
Curry broke the contest open by scoring four runs in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Hailey King (Cranston, R.I.) drove in Curry's first run of the inning with an RBI single, with a second run scoring on the play on an error. Madison Schwartz (Bridgewater, Mass.) drove in the fourth Curry run with an RBI double, and later scored on a passed ball to give Curry a 5-0 lead.
The Colonels got two more runs across on a Madelyn White (Franklin, Mass.) RBI reach on error, followed by another King RBI single.
In the bottom of the sixth, White walked it off for Curry when she lined a screamer to third base, scoring pinch runner Alli Mansfield (Georgetown, Mass.) all the way from first base to end the game at 8-0.
Nine different players had hits for the Colonels in the victory, led by King and Schwartz with two each. King and White each finished with a pair of runs batted in.
Game 2 - Curry 5, Skidmore 4
Curry claimed its second victory of the day in come from behind fashion, winning a 5-4 thriller against Skidmore.
The Thoroughbreds took the early lead on an unearned tally in the top of the second, but the Colonels answered by taking the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Natalia O'Kleasky (Coventry, R.I.) leveled the score by coming in from third on a wild pitch, followed by an RBI double from junior Jordan Ferullo (Burlington, Mass.)
Another unearned run from Skidmore tied the score at two in the top of the fourth, but the tie was short-lived. O'Kleasky gave Curry the lead right back with an RBI double up the middle, and came around to score two batters later on an RBI single from freshman Amelya Melchione (Braintree, Mass.) to put Curry on top 5-2.
Skidmore got two back in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run inside the park home run down the left field line, but could get no closer as Curry junior pitcher Caitlyn Wood (Saugus, Mass.) slammed the door shut in the top of the seventh. Wood finished the afternoon allowing just two earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks to earn her first victory of the season.
Offensively, Curry was paced by O'Kleasky, the only Colonel to record multiple hits in the contest. She also drove in two runs and scored two runs in the win.
Game 3 - Curry 7, UMaine Presque Isle 0
Curry earned its third win and second shutout of the day as the Colonels took down UMaine Presque Isle 7-0 in their final game of the day.
The Colonels put up a pair of runs before the Owls even had a chance at bat. Bussiere scored Curry's first run when she scampered home on a Ferullo reach on error. A few batters later, O'Kleasky scored Ferullo from third on a sacrifice fly to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Melchione earned an RBI on a sacrifice fly of her own, again driving home Ferullo to put Curry ahead 3-0.
Freshman Bella Newcomb (Plymouth, N.H.) came through in a big way in the top of the fourth with a two-run, pinch hit double to left center field, putting her team ahead 5-0.
In the sixth, Newcomb drove in her third run of the game with an RBI single to left field, putting Curry up 6-0 by bringing home classmate Emma Burke (Beverly, Mass.). Newcomb would cross the plate moments later on an RBI groundout from Mansfield, giving the game its final score of 7-0.
King was stellar in the circle for the Colonels. The sophomore tossed five shutout innings, allowing just three hits with five strikeouts and no walks to pick up her second win of the season. In relief, freshman Gracie Martineau (Westminster, Mass.) maintained the shutout with two scoreless innings, allowing two hits.
Newcomb, Schwartz, King, and Burke all recorded a pair of hits for the Colonels in the victory. Newcomb led all players with three runs batted in, while Burke scored two runs and stole two bases.
The Colonels will wrap up their Spring Break trip on Friday with a doubleheader against Cairn and FDU-Florham and 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively.
#BleedPurple
