Paxton, MA - Vermont State University Lyndon and Anna Maria College split a non-conference softball doubleheader on Monday afternoon. The Hornets prevailed, 5-4, in eight innings in the opener, but the Amcats picked up a walk-off 3-2 win in the nightcap. Lyndon is now 4-5 on the season, while Anna Maria is 8-8.
Game 1 - VTSU Lyndon 5, Anna Maria 4 - 8 innings
Lyndon wasted little time in taking the lead in the opener. Victoria Valentine (East Burke, VT) delivered a one-out single in the top of the first inning, and Claudia Knapp (Howell, NJ) followed with a two-run home run.
Anna Maria countered with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Shay Savoie led off with a double and later scored when Sabrina Liston reached on an error.
The game stayed 2-1 for the next five innings, as Hornet pitcher Bailey Quire (Gainesville, FL) and Liston, her Amcat counter part, Eden Forget, hung zeros on the board.
The Hornets opened up some breathing room in the top of the seventh inning. Blake Southworth (Bethel, VT) led off with a base hit and moved all the way to third on Valentine's sacrifice bunt. Saleena Porter (St. Johnsbury, VT) delivered a two-out base hit to drive in Southworth. After a Quire single moved Porter to second, Riann Fortin (Newport, VT) came through with her fourth hit of the game, bringing home Porter.
Anna Maria didn't go quietly, however. Madison Levesque and Zoey Lain led off the bottom of the seventh inning with back to back base hits. Savoie and Kaitlyn Hicks followed with RBI doubles and suddenly it was a 4-3 game and the Amcats had the tying run at third and the winning run at second with nobody out. After Quire struck out Samantha Dahill, Porter fielded Aine Manning's ground ball and gunned down Savoie at the plate. However, an errant throw trying to get Manning at second allowed Hicks to come home with the tying run.
Per the international tiebreaker, Caitlyn Haggett (St. Johnsbury, VT) began the top of the eighth inning at second base. She moved to third on an Ann Watkins (Los Angeles, CA) single, then came home on Southworth's ground out, putting Lyndon back in front.
Anna Maria threatened in the bottom of the eighth. Eden Forget was placed at second to begin. Madisyn Crossman's base hit put runners at the corners. Crossman moved to second with the winning run on a sacrifice, but Quire was able to retire the next two hitters to preserve the win.
Quire picked up the complete game victory. Forget was saddled with the loss.
Game 2 - Anna Maria 3, VTSU Lyndon 2
Lyndon again struck first in the nightcap. Southworth and Valentine got things going with back to back singles. After Porter grounded into a fielder's choice, Fortin came through with a two-out base hit to score Valentine and put the Hornets in front.
Anna Maria would take the lead in the home half of the second inning. Linton singled leading off and was lifted for a pinch runner. Forget then singled and Madison-Marie Romano walked to load the bases. Levesque then walked to force in a run, and Paige Stewart's sacrifice fly scored another, giving the Amcats a 2-1 lead.
things would stay that way until the top of the fifth inning. Knapp walked leading off. Porter then grounded into a fielder's choice and later came around to score on Sierra Anderson's (Somersworth, NH) base hit, tying the game at 2-2.
After the Hornets left runners on in the sixth and seventh innings, Levesque reached on an error leading off the bottom of the seventh and was lifted for pinch runner Kiara Edmonds. After Stewart sacrificed Edmonds to third, Savoie lifted a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Edmonds with the winning run.
Liston went the distance to earn the win in the Amcats. Valentine also pitched a complete game for Lyndon, but took the loss.
Lyndon's doubleheader at Rivier University scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed due to upcoming winter weather. The Hornets are scheduled to host Eastern Nazarene College in a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader on Saturday.
