Bangor, ME - Thomas College capitalized on a sequence of Northern Vermont University-Lyndon fielding miscues and went on to defeat the Hornets, 16-0, in the opening game of the North Atlantic Conference Softball Championship Tournament. The fifth seeded Hornets fall to 17-12 on the season. Lyndon will now play an elimination game on Saturday morning at 11:00 am against Cazenovia College. Cazenovia fell into an elimination game after dropping an 18-5 decision to SUNY Cobleskill in the final game of the day. The Wildcats had defeated SUNY Canton earlier in the day.
After a quiet first inning and a half, Thomas broke things open in the home second. Claudia Migliaccio led things off with a base hit, then came around to score following back to back Hornet errors. A third straight error led to another run, then Cheyenne Simpson beat out an infield hit, loading the bases. Kelsey Currier's base hit drove in another run, then Anna Piirainen grounded out dirving in another run to make it 4-0. Bailey Dunphy then beat out a bunt and Simpson came all the way around to score on the play. A Maddie Rock two-run double extended the Thomas lead to 7-0 before the inning ended.
The Thomas lead continued to balloon in the bottom of the third inning. Simpson and Currier started things with back to back base hits. Piirainen then reached on an error, with both Simpson and Currier coming around to score. Thomas then loaded the bases following a bunt single by Dunphy and a walk to Rock. Migliaccio then delivered a two-run base hit. Three more Hornet errors followed, then back to back bases loaded walks plated two more runs. When all was said and done, Thomas had put nine more runs on the board to make the score 16-0.
That would be all scoring in the game. Thomas starting pitcher Jordan Devine only allowed three hits in the complete game shutout win. Lauren Siciliano (Lynbrook, NY) had a third inning single, then Riann Fortin (Derby, VT) and Siciliano had back to back two out base hits in the Hornet fifth. Amber Everett (Morrisville, VT) was Lyndon's only other base runner, as she drew a walk leading off the game. Devine struck out four Hornets.
Victoria Valentine (Lyndon, VT) started for the Hornets and took the loss. She gave up 11 hits, two walks, and eight earned runs in 2.1 innings of work. Caitlin Haggett (St. Johnsbury, VT) came on to throw 1.2 innings of scoreless and hitless relief, walking four and striking out one.
The winner of tomorrow morning's Lyndon-Cazenovia game will play another elimination game at 3:00 pm on Saturday against the winner of Saturday morning's 9:00 am matchup between Thomas and SUNY Canton. The 3:00 pm winner will turn right around and play another elimination game against the loser of Saturday's 1:00 pm matchup between Husson University and SUNY Cobleskill.
All photos courtesy of Eric Ogden Photos.
