PHILADELPHIA, PA - The La Salle softball team (11-24) won both games of a thrilling non-conference doubleheader with Rider (14-20) in dramatic fashion, giving the Explorers their first wins at Good Shepherd Field this season, as well as momentum as they head back into Atlantic 10 play searching for their first conference win. La Salle took the first game, 5-4, with a walk-off single in the 10th inning and won the nightcap, 4-3, as a two-run error allowed the Explorers to come from behind in their last at bat.
Game One
With the game tied in the bottom of the tenth, Teddi Hernandez (Hanford, CA/Hanford) drove in the winning run with a single to give La Salle the dramatic win. Hernandez made up for an earlier baserunning gaffe, when she got picked off first with no outs in the ninth.
Carissa Segura (Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti) started off the inning with a walk. Pinch runner Megan Berry (Rutherford, NJ/Paramus Catholic) moved to second on pitcher Lea Corcoran's (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake Community) sacrifice bunt. After a Kate Gulkis (Philadelphia, PA/St. Basil) infield single put runners on first and second, Jen Street's (Coatesville, PA/Bishop Shanahan) sacrifice fly to right moved Berry to third. Hernandez's stroke to center plated Berry for the winning run.
La Salle fell behind early, as the Broncs plated three runs before the Explorers even had a chance to bat. Pitcher Corcoran allowed singles to the first three batters she faced before she got Jamie Farley to pop up in foul territory. Nichole Mears then singled to plate the first run and Jill Carrabus followed suit with a two run single of her own. Corcoran worked out of the jam, getting Desiree Harbaugh to strike out in a 15-pitch at-bat and forcing a Mandi Sekly fly out to center.
The Explorers got a pair of runs back in the second inning, when freshman Kelli Curcio (Hatboro, PA/St. Basil) drove in two runs with a two-out bloop single to shallow right. Corcoran and left fielder Gulkis came around to score after each worked a walk. The two runs brought Curcio's RBI total up to 12 for the season. In the fourth, the Explorers scored two more runs to take a 4-3 lead. Street slugged a one-out double to right. She advanced to third on Teddi Hernandez's (Hanford, CA/Hanford) groundout to first base. Danielle Signorelli (Jenkintown, PA/St. Basil) hit a grounder to shortstop Katy Mills, who booted it, allowing Street to score to tie the game. The Explorers took the lead when Curcio lofted a ball to deep center that appeared to be the third out, but Cullen flubbed the catch, allowing Signorelli to score.
The lead would be short-lived, as Jennifer Cullen drove the second pitch she saw over the right field fence to lead off the fifth. Then, with two outs, Corcoran loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an error, but got Harbaugh to strike out for the second time.
Rider threatened in the top of the seventh with runners on first and second with no outs. Farley then lined out to Curcio, who quickly fired to second to double up Ashley Boulden. Mears then drove a pitch to deep left where Gulkis made a terrific running catch on the warning track.
Corcoran pitched all 10 innings to improve to 2-10. She allowed nine hits, four runs and four walks, while striking out six. Laci Landrum picked up the loss for Rider. In 9 2/3 innings, she allowed six hits, five runs (three earned) and seven walks. Landrum struck out three Explorers.
Game Two
Trailing by a run in the bottom of the seventh, catcher Michelle Sullivan (Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) led off with a single. Segura followed with a fly ball that fell in front of Cullen to put runners on first and second. After Corcoran came in to run for Segura, Gulkis dropped a bunt that pitcher Lauren Brunner threw away at third, loading the bases. Street came up to bat and bounced a grounder to third basemen Mears who tried to get Sullivan at home, but threw the ball away, allowing Corcoran to score the winning run and give the Explorers their second dramatic win of the day.
The Broncs put a run on the board in the top of the first for the second game in a row as Mears singled home Cullen to give Rider a 1-0 lead. The lead reached 3-0 in the second, when Boulden drove home a pair of runs with a two-out single to left center.
After walking in her first plate appearance, Hernandez continued her clutch hitting with a two-out RBI double to get La Salle on the board. In the fifth inning, Gulkis' one-out bases loaded single plated La Salle's second run.
DeZolt pitched all seven innings to get the win and improve to 8-8. She gave up 11 hits, three runs and three free passes, but struck out seven Rider batters. Brunner dropped to 1-6 with the loss and allowed eight hits, four runs (two earned) and four walks, while striking out two.
The Explorers will return to action on Saturday, April 22, when they visit Charlotte for a double dip at noon.
