COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College softball team was swept by the narrowest of margins by No. 17 Adelphi University, 2-1 in nine innings and 2-1, during a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Doc Jacobs Field. The Panthers, whose national ranking is according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), advanced to the 2022 NCAA Division II College World Series.
RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (10-18, 3-9 NE10), Adelphi (29-6, 11-3 NE10)
DOUBLEHEADER FACTS
- Eight of the Purple Knights' losses have come by a single run, including each of the past four.
- A little less than two seasons into her college career, sophomore Jenna Devens (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) is already tied for 10th in program history in career RBI, picking up her 46th in game one on Saturday to match Jaime Cronin '95.
- Adelphi's hurler in the first contest was junior Lindsey Hibbs, who leads Division II in strikeouts per seven innings (12.6) while tossing four no-hitters this season, including two perfect games. Saint Michael's picked up six hits in the game, one short of the most Hibbs has allowed in a game this season.
- In game two, the Panthers started senior Claire Fon, the 2022 NE10 Pitcher of the Year. The Purple Knights drew four walks, matching Fon's career high, after she surrendered only 13 in 75.2 innings entering the day.
- Saint Michael's hosted Adelphi for the first time since 2011.
GAME 1
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
- Devens, 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB; 9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
- Senior Sadie Pratt (Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional), 2-for-3, 1 SAC
- First-year CJ Davidson (Canyon Lake, Calif./Vista Murrieta), 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB
OPPONENT LEADERS
- Hibbs, 9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
- Junior Angela Lignelli, 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
- Junior Alexa Sacripante, 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
- Redshirt sophomore Courtney Wengryn, 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB
THE ACTION
- Sacripante's two-out RBI single gave Adelphi a first-inning lead.
- With two down in the sixth, Devens' flare into shallow right field scored Davidson and moved Pratt to third. An error allowed Devens to reach second, but the final batter struck out.
- Saint Michael's threatened for a walk-off victory in the seventh when seniors Hope Hiscock (Schenectady, N.Y./Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School) and Haley Waghorn (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) singled back-to-back with one down, but Hibbs struck out the next two hitters.
- In the eighth, Adelphi put two on with one out before Wengryn came through with a single to left, but first-year left fielder Brooke Edgerly (Morley, Mich./Morley Stanwood) cut down a runner trying to score from second. The final batter popped out.
- Pratt singled with one down in the home half before Devens walked, but the next hitter lined into a double play.
- With two out in the ninth, Lignelli singled through the left side to score Sacripante just ahead of another strong throw from Edgerly.
- The Purple Knights went down in order in the home half.
GAME 2
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
- Devens, 0-for-2, 2 BB
- Pratt, 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B
- Junior Meghan Connor (Saint Albans, Vt./BFA-Saint Albans/Endicott), 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB
- First-year Jamie Hearn (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day School), 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
OPPONENT LEADERS
- Fon, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
- Wengryn, 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B
- First-year Brianna Fischer, 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HP
THE ACTION
- Pratt doubled with one out in the third before coming around to score on Connor's line-drive single off of Fon. The Purple Knights left the bases loaded.
- In the next half inning, Wengryn and Fischer knocked consecutive run-scoring doubles to give the visitors a 2-1 edge.
- Fon allowed only two runners to reach over the final four frames, as Connor singled with two out in the fifth before Pratt singled off of the pitcher's cleat with two down in the seventh. The game's final hitter grounded out.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME
- Sunday vs. Pace University, 12 p.m. doubleheader.
- The Setters qualified for the 2022 NCAA Tournament.