Walk-Off Homer Propels Purchase to Sweep of York Softball
Purchase's Licata Blast Three Homers in Twinbill, Including Walk-off in Game One
John Scarinci, Director of Sports Information
BOX SCORE 1 |
BOX SCORE 2 PURCHASE, N.Y.- A walk-off home run by Purchase College's ToniAnn Licata lifted the Panthers to a 5-3 victory of the York College softball team in game one of a doubleheader Tuesday. Purchase then carried the momentum of the exciting victory into game two—with Licata hitting two more homers— in a 14-0 victory over the Cardinals in the nightcap.
GAME ONEThe two sides got a well-pitched game from their respective starters. York's
Priscilla Lallave scattered eight hits, while allowing four earned runs and striking out two. Nicole Fortuna tossed six innings for Purchase, allowing just three hits and three earned runs in a no-decision. Licata came in to pitch a scoreless seventh to earn the victory after her heroics in the bottom of the inning.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when the Panthers struck first for two runs. Christine Leo drove in a run on a double and then later scored on a passed ball. The Cardinals cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth, when a
Geneva Faulk RBI double made it 2-1.
After Purchase pushed across another run in the top of the fifth, York would even up the score at 3-3 in the top of the sixth. The Cardinals loaded the bases to start the inning on walks by
Michelle Deleon and
Karen Werner and a single by
Chyla Guevara. Faulk then singled home another run, but on the play, Werner was thrown out at home trying to score from second. That would prove to be a crucial play in the game.
Danielle Dunn followed with an RBI groundout to tie up the ball game.
Leo started off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center and then was sacrificed to second. Licata then stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run homer to give the Panthers the walk-off victory.
GAME TWOGame two was not an exciting contest like the first one. The Panthers put up five runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by another Licata home run—this time bringing home three runs.
The Panthers knocked out Deleon after just 1/3 of an inning pitched. Lallave came back to pitch relief and she did not fare much better. Purchase plated nine runs in the second inning, making it 14-0 after just two innings of play. Licata once again provided the big knocks, as she doubled early in the inning and capped off the frame with yet another home run.
Licata was the victor on the mound for game two as well—this time as a starter—as she held York to just three hits in a shortened five-inning game. In all, Licata was a combined 5-for-7 with three home runs, seven RBIs and three runs scored in the two games, while earning two victories on the mound.
York drops to 5-19 this season, while Purchase closes out their 2014 campaign with a record of 10-18. The Cardinals will return to action against the College of Staten Island on Wednesday. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Staten Island.
