The University of Rhode Island softball team competed in the Owl Classic over the weekend at Florida Atlantic University, losing all five games played.
In the Rams’ first time back at Boca Raton in 20 years, they faced off against FAU twice, first on Friday and then on Sunday. They then faced Boston College on Saturday, Florida Gulf Coast University on Saturday and Columbia University on Sunday.
URI Head Coach Whitney Goldstein talked about the atmosphere at the Joan Joyce field during the weekend.
”It’s a beautiful complex and [Joyce] was a huge influence on the game of softball,” Goldstein said. “It’s a really unique opportunity to play in a place with a lot of history, [Joyce] is someone who’s been a part of our game for so long.”
Friday afternoon’s tournament-opener for URI ended in a 5-1 score for the FAU Owls. Third-year Katie Zaun started on the mound for the Rams.
Rhody scored their first and only run of the game in the top of the third inning after fifth-year Cassie Swenson hit a line drive down the right field line that brought home third-year Leilyn Alvarez. Despite Swenson’s RBI triple, the Rams were unable to score again.
The Owls scored the tying run in the bottom of the fourth inning before Zaun was replaced by first-year Avery Vale-Cruz on the mound. In her 3.1 innings pitched, Zaun allowed four hits in 14 at-bats.
An error in the fifth inning allowed the go-ahead run to be scored by FAU’s Kylie Hammonds. Insurance runs for FAU came in the form of Kamryn Jackson’s three-run home run in the sixth inning, sealing the 5-1 win for the hosts.
The following morning the Rams started off their first matchup of the day with a 3-1 loss against BC. Zaun got the start and would go for 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
BC pitcher Halie Pappion also went 6.0 innings for the Eagles, holding the Rams to no hits through five innings.
The Eagles’ runs came in the first and third innings. Nicole Giery’s RBI single scored Hannah Silke in the first. Silke hit a two-run home run to left field in the third.
URI’s lone run came in the bottom of the sixth inning. First-year Riley Frickleton ended Pappion’s no-hitter with a leadoff single. Swenson drove Frickleton in with an RBI groundout.
Rhody did not have such offensive luck in their following game on Saturday afternoon.
FGCU defeated the Rams 8-0, prompting the game to end after the top of the fifth inning due to the mercy rule. Fifth-year Liz Lynchard went 2.1 innings, giving up seven runs, while second-year Ashley Hibbard went 1.2 innings and gave up one run.
Seven different Eagles scored runs, as three runs were scored in the first inning and the following five were scored in the third inning.
On their final day of the Owl Classic, the Rams scored their most runs in a single game but still fell to Columbia 4-2. Sunday morning’s matchup with the Lions saw its first runs scored in the bottom of the third inning to put Columbia up 3-0.
Following those runs, Zaun was taken off the mound and was replaced by Lynchard, who went 3.2 innings and gave up one run and seven hits.
Second-year Kylie Bulinski homered in the fourth inning to get the Rams within two runs. Alvarez added another homer in the top of the sixth inning, but the Lions added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning.
In what was another pitching duel, URI was shut out for the second time in three games, being taken down 1-0 in their second meeting with FAU.
The game went to an extra inning after both teams went without a run through seven innings. In Vale-Cruz’s first complete game pitched, she allowed six hits and one run in 7.0 innings. On the other end, Owls pitcher Trinity Schlotterbeck allowed four hits and struck out four in 8.0 innings.
Jesiana Mora walked it off for the Owls, driving home Jackson with a single to right field.
Now with a 1-10 record, Rhody is still yet to face Atlantic 10 competition.
”I think it’s really important to stay within the process of our program getting better and the only way to do that, and to compete at the top of the A-10, is to play competition that’s going to prepare us to play at the top of the A-10,” Goldstein said. “Unfortunately, we haven’t necessarily resulted in the win column as much as we would hope for, but, at the same time, I do have zero doubts that we will be ready to play conference play.”
While playing against good competition is one way to improve skill, practicing skill and fitness is also key to success, according to Goldstein.
”We’re doing everything we can to have a selfless mind,” Goldstein said. “There’s a lot of season left here to make sure we can execute those situations under pressure. It’s just continuing to maintain the good practice standard that we have on a daily basis.”
The Rams will next compete in the Cathi Maynard Invitational in Clarksville, Tennessee. They will kick off the five-game event with a 10:30 first pitch against Akron on March 8.