The Trinity softball team swept Riverside Brookfield in doubleheader action on Saturday to remain at .500 on the season with a 7-7 overall record.
In the opener, the Blazers edged the Bulldogs (10-8) 1-0 in nine innings. The second game was a slugfest, and Trinity came away victorious after eight innings, 11-10.
The first game was strong on pitching and defense. Allison Hernandez pitched for Trinity against RB’s Sam Maas. In the first inning, Hernandez gave up a walk to the first batter she faced, and then fanned the next three batters to end the inning. Hernandez came out on top in the strikeout tally with seven to Maas’ four.
“Our defense was really on today. It was a relief to come out of our losing streak,” said Hernandez.
The Bulldogs got three hits in the sixth but failed to produce any runs. The Blazers were able to get out of the inning unscathed.
With the game still scoreless at the top of the ninth, Kelly O’Brien stepped to the plate with one out and nobody on. The senior smacked a home run to left field to put the Blazers back in the win column.
“Everybody said, ‘Just hit it; put the bat on it’,” said O’Brien.
RB tried to answer when Fallon Ryan opened the bottom of the ninth with her second single of the game, but she was left stranded.
Unlike the first game, the nightcap only went scoreless until the second inning, when the Bulldogs got the first run. They added three more in the fourth to be up on the Blazers
4-0.
Trinity roared back in the fifth, where five hits added up to four runs to tie the game.
“We were down four runs twice, and we came back twice. I’m really proud of the girls,” said Coach Bob Osborne about a wild Game 2.
The Bulldogs also had a big fifth, taking back the lead 8-4.
In the top of the sixth, a two-out rally gave the Blazers four more runs and a tied game. After some explosive innings, both teams were quiet in the seventh taking the game into extra innings. With two runners on and no outs, O’Brien got her fifth hit and fourth RBI of the day to give Trinity its first lead. The Blazers scored two more, to go up 11-8.
The Bulldogs would not go quietly. They scored two runs before Rena Maritote got her biggest strikeout of the day to end the game and get the win.
“I took deep breaths, played catch with my catcher and just battled it out,” she said.
For the day, both Cristina Carbonaro and Monica Albano had four hits and two RBIs apiece for Trinity. Gina Consiglio accounted for two RBIs and two hits.
Earlier in the week, Trinity lost to Fenwick 2-0. Only Albano could muster two hits for the Blazers, while Courtney Monaco had the hot bat for Fenwick, with a double and two singles.