Matt Gad—Sports Writer
The Owls may have dropped two out of three over the weekend to Le Moyne, but the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader proved historic.
Locked in a scoreless tie, the game was suspended at the end of eight innings due to looming darkness and Pelz Field not having any field lights. It was to be resumed Sunday morning.
“This was the first time in my five years that this has happened,” coach Jill Rispoli said.
Sunday morning, in the 10th inning, following Le Moyne breaking the deadlock with a single run, freshman infielder Alexa Bacoulis connected on a walk-off grand slam to give the Owls a 4-1 win.
Bacoulis finished the game with just one hit coming off the walk-off and four RBI after seniors Madison Feshler and Delany Turner dazzled on the mound during their Senior Day.
“I was moving the ball around and hitting my spots,” Feshler said. “I was keeping them off balance and we were all just doing our job [on defense].”
Feshler allowed seven hits over five and a third, producing seven fly-outs and eight ground-outs before Turner came in for four and two-thirds of one-run ball.
“That was the best I’ve seen Maddy throw all my three years,” Turner said. “I’m so proud of her, like on another level. Since day one we’ve been on the same mode; we’re both junk-ball pitchers and we do our job, and she did her job today.”
Both seniors have only been on the team for three seasons, but they have had significant impacts during their time with the Owls, with Turner leading the team in doubles last year and Feshler having two complete games in her junior season.
“It was a great moment on a great day and they’ll remember this for the rest of their lives,” Rispoli said.
Sophomore Jazmyn Martinez pitched game one, a 2-0 loss, and Feshler and Turner combined to give up just the lone run in the extra-inning win.
“All day long our pitchers were phenomenal,” Rispoli said. “They pounded the strike zone, threw big pitches in big spots and they were aggressive. They fielded their positions and it was fantastic from the mound.”
In the first game Saturday, Le Moyne scored a run in the first inning off a sacrifice fly in centerfield. However, they did not add to their ledger until they brought home a runner from third in the seventh, when the Owls committed an error off an errant throw.
Bacoulis, the team hero Sunday morning, was responsible for the team’s only two hits in the loss.
Martinez dominated for her eleventh complete game of the spring.
“We were firing on all cylinders. We may not have scored but we were hitting the ball hard and making great plays,” Rispoli said. In the second game Sunday afternoon, down 1-0, Bacoulis had a first-inning RBI single, scoring junior Sara Buscetto, before sophomore Jayden Delaporta hit an RBI double, bringing Liz DeRosa home, to make it 2-1 before the Owls fell 4-2 after the Dolphins tacked on two more late.
The team will be home for the final time this season on April 23, when they host Pace University for a doubleheader.
Photo Credit: August Pelliccio
