Morgan Douglas – Sports Editor
Owls’ softball got back on track over the weekend, winning three of four games at home, including winning both games of a doubleheader this past Sunday, against the American International College Yellowjackets.
This weekend’s victories put their record at 7-7, and they got the job done with both pitching and hitting.
Game one on Sunday was the nailbiter of the two, as it did not start off pretty.
A leadoff home run by Destiny McGrath to start the top of the first inning led to the Yellowjackets swarming Owls starting pitcher Emma Gorham, a sophomore, to the tune of four runs in the frame.
The Owls offense responded in kind in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs of their own without any ball leaving the yard, just taking advantage of the opposition’s mistakes, such as reaching base safely on an error and scoring on a wild pitch.
The big blow came from shortstop Dominique DeLutri, a freshman, who hit her first career triple to drive in two runs and give her team the lead after falling in an early hole.
A leadoff double and a throwing error in the top of the second inning allowed AIC to tie the game at 5-5.
In the bottom of the second, the Owls again had the answer on offense.
After a leadoff single by outfielder Emily Lange, a sophomore, first baseman Jayden Delaporta, a graduate student, hit a home run to left field to give the owls a 7-5 lead from which they would not look back.
Gorham was pulled in the third inning after hitting the leadoff hitter and was replaced by pitcher Jessica Perucki, a junior, who was terrific in relief.
Over the next five innings, Perucki made just one mistake, allowing a home run to Yellowjackets third baseman Kodi Gora in the top of the fifth, but closed the game out strong and earned the 7-6 win for the Owls.
Game two’s victory came much easier for the home team.
Again, the Yellowjackets would jump out to an early lead, but only 1-0 this time after another run batted in by Gora.
The Owls tied the score in the bottom of the first and never looked back, scoring at least one run in each subsequent inning leading to the game ending 9-1 after just five innings, as the mercy rule was enforced.
The Owls had another five-run outburst in the bottom of the second of game two, recording base hit after base hit and taking advantage of a passed ball and a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the third, catcher and infielder Gabriella Festa, a freshman, hit a pinch-hit home run to extend the lead to 6-1.
On the mound, pitcher Jazmyn Martinez, a graduate student was great, allowing just the one run over five innings like her teammate Perucki did in game one, she got the win and is now 3-3 on the season with a 3.03 earned run average and 40 strikeouts to just five walks over 34.2 innings pitched.
Owls’ softball will next play on Wednesday, March 30, a doubleheader on the road against the University of Bridgeport.
