Rams falls to UMass, splits doubleheader against Holy Cross
Sophomore Vicki Viaclovsky swings at a pitch during Tuesday’s 9-4 loss against UMass. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
After almost a week off, the University of Rhode Island Softball team returned to action on Tuesday and Wednesday, playing a trio of close games against the University of Massachusetts and Holy Cross.
In their first game against UMass, URI found themselves down 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning. They rallied back, led by Ari Castillo’s single that drove in Leilyn Alvarez for URI’s first run of the day at the bottom of the fourth.
An inning later, Alvarez’s single down to right center field brought Skyler Rapuano and Rachel Zingerman home. Castillo eventually tied the score at four with a double that brought in Alvarez. Despite this, the comeback effort was not enough for the Rams, as a sloppy seventh inning saw URI give up five runs to give the visitors the win.
The Rams moved on to play Holy Cross on a doubleheader Wednesday. The first game proved to be a tightly-contested matchup that came down to the last inning. After an extremely defensive game that remained knotted at zero through the first three innings, the Crusaders took the lead in the fourth when Bailey Bates took advantage of a misplaced throw and came home.
Liz Lynchard pitched her way out of a tight situation, stopping two Holy Cross runners in scoring position to keep the game within reach. URI leveled the game an inning later when a single from Vicki Viaclovsky drove in Ari Castillo. Lynchard continued her dominant performance in the circle, pitching a complete game with six strikeouts and five hits allowed.
The game went to extra innings after it remained tied at one through seven innings. The Rams won it in the bottom of the eighth inning when Rachel Zingerman’s single to third base drove in Margaux Lesser home for the walkoff win.
“We’ve lost a lot of games this year by one run, I think we’ve lost almost 30 or 40 percent of our games off of one run this year,” Head Coach Whitney Goldstein said. “So it was nice to see that we could be out there, support someone who’s pitching their butt off for the team and actually get over the hump and win a game. This team will continue to figure out how to win close teams as the years go along, but today was a good opportunity.”
Viaclovsky also spoke about the pressure that comes with such a tight game.
“Bringing [runners] home, most of that pressure you add on yourself,” Viaclovsky said. “You just really gotta take that nice, deep breath – ‘we practiced this, you got this, just get her in’ – it’s really just feeling relaxed and being in the moment rather than making it bigger than it is.”
Game 2 brought much more of the same. URI pitcher Cameron Whiteford pitched her way out of a jam in the first inning, retiring the final three batters with the bases loaded to keep the game scoreless.
URI took the lead soon after when a Holy Cross fielding error allowed Viaclovsky to put the Rams ahead. Holy Cross kept the pressure offensively, but the teams remained through five innings.
A late defensive collapse saw URI give up five runs in four innings, handing the Crusaders the win in what was otherwise a close contest.
“We have to learn to welcome that [pressure], we have to learn to love pressure, we have to live for the pressure,” Goldstein said. “They have to learn how to play both sides of the ball and welcome that pressure, be the one that wants to be the winner, wants to be the hero. Until we conquer that, that’s when we’ll start to win more games.
The Rams return to the URI Softball Complex on Saturday, where they will begin a three-game series in a doubleheader against conference leader Geroge Washington. First pitch in Game 1 is scheduled for 12 p.m.
“[We’ll] learn from the game, pick it up, and get the next one,” Viaclovsky said. “We’re very optimistic. Like I said, we’re gonna get the next one, we’re gonna come out strong with a fire in our bellies and attack whatever team we play.”