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SPARKILL, N.Y. - For the second day in a row, the D'Youville softball team dropped the first game of an East Coast Conference doubleheader but bounced back to take game two. The 4-1 defeat in game one was followed by a thrilling, 8-7 win in eight innings as the Saints battled back from a 6-0 deficit to earn the split over the first-place Spartans.
The Saints got off on the right foot in game one, pushing the game's first run across in the bottom of the first inning when senior Maddy Pepke scored on a groundout from senior Mikaela Milleville. Pepke got on base with a leadoff single to right-center and moved to third when junior Hannah Bardeen singled down the left-field line.
That was all the offense the Saints could generate in the opener as the Spartans scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead and then added an insurance run in the sixth inning.
Sophomore Lauren Booth went the distance for the Saints in the opener, tossing all seven innings and striking out three while surrendering one earned run on seven hits.
STAC (19-15, 12-3 ECC) ended the scoreless deadlock in the top of the third inning with the game's first run before breaking the game open with five runs on five hits in the fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead.
Bardeen kickstarted a five-run fifth inning for the Saints with a two-run double to center field. On the very next at-bat, Milleville got the Saints back to within one run of the Spartan lead at 6-5 with a three-run home run to left-center. Milleville's first home run of the season was the second of her collegiate career and first since April 30, 2021, when she hit a solo home run at Molloy.
Sophomore Mikayla Bush knotted things back up at six runs apiece with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bush's game-tying home run was also her first of the season and the first of her collegiate career.
After STAC retook a 7-6 lead with a run in the top of the seventh inning, the Saints were forced to score once more in the home half of the seventh. Pepke singled back to the pitcher to begin the frame and then two batters later, she scored on Milleville's infield single to shortstop where a throwing error allowed Pepke to score from second.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, freshman Emily Przybysz slapped a single to left field and when the STAC left fielder misplayed the ball, Przybysz raced around the bases to plate the game-winning run.
Freshman Sarah Parzych got the start in game two but was roughed up for five earned runs on nine hits while striking out four in 3.1 innings of work … Freshman Cassie Crerar (W, 4-4) earned the win in her relief outing where she allowed two runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
The Saints were led by Milleville's (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) three-hit game … Bush (2-for-4, HR, RBI) also hit safely multiple times for the Saints in the comeback victory.
The Saints return to Dobson Field on Tuesday, April 19 for a non-conference doubleheader with Le Moyne. Game times are scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m.
