CLERMONT, Fla. – The Albright Lions softball team split a pair of games to kick off the team's Florida trip on Sunday afternoon at The Spring Games in Clermont.
Albright rallied to top College of Staten Island by a 7-6 score in the first game of the day before dropping a 6-2 decision to Western New England in game two.
Game One
The Lions rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth and held on for the 7-6 victory in their first game of the day on Sunday.
Trailing 6-5, sophomore
Kaitlyn Chell started the inning with a single and scored on
Kelly Cembrale's RBI triple to tie the game at six apiece and junior
Brooke Yerger plated Cembrale with a sac fly to give the Lions the lead.
CSI had the tying run at third with one out in the seventh, but freshman
Allison Melahn got a groundout and a popup to close things out for Albright.
Melahn (1-0) earned the win in her collegiate debut after allowing just one run on six hits to go along with two walks and three strikeouts in 6 2/3 IP.
Jaclyn Kateridge gave up seven runs on 14 hits while fanning four in a complete game effort for the Dolphins and was dealt the loss.
The Lions jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first with two-out RBI singles from
Jordan Chell and
Camille Sears, but the Dolphins grabbed the lead right back with a five spot in the home half of the frame as Erica Olsen delivered a two-run double in the frame and Patricia Riches knocked in a run via an RBI triple. Albright cut the lead to 5-4 with a pair of runs in the second as Cembrale and
Kaitlyn Chell started the inning with consecutive singles and later scored on Sears' two-out RBI single. Chell's solo home run in the top of the third tied the game at five apiece before CSI took a 6-5 lead on Sierra Kaplanek's RBI double in the fourth.
Sophomore
Lynsie Grant got the start in the circle for the Lions and received a no-decision after giving up five runs on four hits to go along with a pair of walks.
Cembrale (2-3, 3B, RBI, 2 R), K. Chell (3-3, HR, RBI, 3 R),
Stephanie Pomante (2-4), Sears (3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R) and Yerger (2-2, 2B, RBI, SB, R) all had multi-hit games as part of a 14 hit attack for Albright. The three hits for Chell are a career-high and the home run is the first of her career.
Game Two
Western New England grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Emily Cooney drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a single and scored on Aimee Kistner's RBI groundout. The Golden Bears tacked on solo runs in the second and the fourth to make it a 3-0 game.
That score would hold until the top of the seventh when Western New England stretched the lead to 6-0 after an RBI single from Emilie Decker and a two-run shot from Dina DiBlasio.
Albright rallied for a pair in the home half of the seventh, but were unable to get any closer than 6-2. Cembrale plated a run via an RBI triple in the frame and scored on Yerger's sac fly.
Sears (0-2) surrendered six runs on nine hits to go along with six walks and three strikeouts in 6 2/3 IP and was dealt the loss for the Lions. Kistner gave up five hits while walking one and fanning two over six scoreless innings to earn the win for the Golden Bears and Heather Hassler allowed a pair of runs on two hits in an inning of relief.
Yerger had a pair of hits and an RBI to lead the way offensively for the Lions.
Albright will battle Farmingdale State on Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. and Macalester College at 11:45 a.m.
