Montclair, NJ – Sophomore centerfielder Alexa Beaumont belted a solo homer over the centerfield fence in the top of the seventh for what turned out to be the winning run as DeSales University edged Montclair State, 5-4 at the MSU Softball Stadium on Tuesday.
Senior rightfielder Carly Bartholomew had two hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs (14-13), who squandered an early four-run lead before rebounding for the victory as DeSales moved past the .500 mark.
BROOKE POWERS and
MELANY ZELLER each drove in a pair of runs for the Red Hawks, who conclude their season at 13-22.
The Bulldogs grabbed the 4-0 lead in the first inning as they sent 10 batters to the plate. Emily Hockmand (Allentown, PA / Emmaus) and DJ McCauley (Baker City, OR / Baker) collected back-to-back singles with one out and Beaumont added an infield single to load the bases. Bartholomew made four consecutive hits bringing home the first run and Haley Frati (Newark, DE / St. Mark's) was hit by a pitch forcing in another for a 2-0 lead. Samantha Gibson (Philadelphia, PA / St. Basil's Academy) grounded a ball that got through for an error allowing two more to score as the Bulldogs went in front 4-0.
Montclair State got a run back in the bottom half of the inning.
NOEL HODGINS got aboard with a one out single to left and stole second following a pop up before coming home on Zeller's single back through the middle making the score, 4-1.
From that point on McCauley and Powers traded scoreless innings until the bottom of the fifth when the Red Hawks tied the game.
LAUREN GUILLEN doubled with one out and a bunt single by Hodgins put runners at the corners. Powers doubled with lined double up the gap in left center scoring both runners as MSU moved within 4-3. Powers advanced to third on a wild pitch and came on a sacrifice fly by Zeller tying the score at 4-4.
But Beaumont changed that in the top of the seventh battling back from 0-2 in the count, fouling off three pitches and running the count to full before smacking the 3-2 pitch for her fourth home run of the year.
McCauley retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the victory.
