Spring Break
Softball breaks losing streak in 8-7 victory
Matt Swiss
Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: Sports
03/24/09 -The University of Rhode Island softball team lost its fifth straight game Friday, before picking up its first Atlantic 10 victory of the season on Saturday.
After falling to Dayton University, 7-2, the Rams bounced back with a thrilling 8-7 win over the Flyers the very next day.
Rhody entered Dayton averaging just 2.3 runs per game, but fell one run short of its season high of nine, set back on Feb. 21 against Florida A&M, when it plated eight runs in the tail end of a back-to-back against the Flyers.
"If you look at who we're playing in our lineup right now, we start as many as four or five freshman," head coach Erin Layton said, "and we're playing a sophomore who didn't see a lot of game action last year. So, it's definitely a confidence builder and I think that our team was very pleased that they were able to hit and then run the bases the way that we did."
In each game, Rhode Island got on the board first and jumped out to an early lead. In Friday's game, however, the Rams were unable to contain Dayton as the Flyers erased a 1-0 deficit with one run in the first, and two in the third. Dayton never looked back again, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and sixth inning, pulling away for a 7-2 victory.
"We had a defensive injury that set our team back," Layton said, "and we're trying to find the solution."
The win was just the third for the Flyers, while marking the 12th time the Rams have fallen this season.
Freshman Allison Hartzel, who saw action in both games, suffered the loss in the opener. She went four innings while giving up four hits and surrendering six runs, only three of which were earned. She walked five batters while striking out three. Hartzel relieved senior Odalys Torres, who went the first two innings, allowing just one run off of two hits.
"We're young across the board," Layton said. "We have Odalys and then we have three freshmen that we're sending out on the mound, and we're going to go as they go. If they keep the ball in play for us and throw strikes, I feel like we'll be successful. They know what they have to do and they're working hard to get that done."
After falling to Dayton University, 7-2, the Rams bounced back with a thrilling 8-7 win over the Flyers the very next day.
Rhody entered Dayton averaging just 2.3 runs per game, but fell one run short of its season high of nine, set back on Feb. 21 against Florida A&M, when it plated eight runs in the tail end of a back-to-back against the Flyers.
"If you look at who we're playing in our lineup right now, we start as many as four or five freshman," head coach Erin Layton said, "and we're playing a sophomore who didn't see a lot of game action last year. So, it's definitely a confidence builder and I think that our team was very pleased that they were able to hit and then run the bases the way that we did."
In each game, Rhode Island got on the board first and jumped out to an early lead. In Friday's game, however, the Rams were unable to contain Dayton as the Flyers erased a 1-0 deficit with one run in the first, and two in the third. Dayton never looked back again, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and sixth inning, pulling away for a 7-2 victory.
"We had a defensive injury that set our team back," Layton said, "and we're trying to find the solution."
The win was just the third for the Flyers, while marking the 12th time the Rams have fallen this season.
Freshman Allison Hartzel, who saw action in both games, suffered the loss in the opener. She went four innings while giving up four hits and surrendering six runs, only three of which were earned. She walked five batters while striking out three. Hartzel relieved senior Odalys Torres, who went the first two innings, allowing just one run off of two hits.
"We're young across the board," Layton said. "We have Odalys and then we have three freshmen that we're sending out on the mound, and we're going to go as they go. If they keep the ball in play for us and throw strikes, I feel like we'll be successful. They know what they have to do and they're working hard to get that done."
