Softball Ends Three-Game Home Series
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Monroe College | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 1 |
|
Richard Bland College | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 4 |
By Bryant Marks
SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA – On Sunday the Richard Bland College Softball team finished their three-game series against New York's Monroe College with a close contest where Monroe edged the Statesmen after a close call in the last inning.
The team now sits at 6-3 on the season and now looks to improve on their recent success on the field. They will continue their schedule with a doubleheader against conference rival, Spartanburg Methodist, in another home doubleheader on Thursday, March 12, at 1 and 3 PM.
The game today saw two teams now familiar with each as this was their third game being played between the two in just two days. In the first, the Statesmen hit a rut as Monroe capitalized on throwing and fielding errors to put three runs on the board early. RBC would finally get on the board in the third inning with a two-run hard-hit ground ball to second base from Misty Even, scoring Callie Humphrey and Jamie Fields. The Mustangs would add three more to their lead in the top of fourth to make it a 6-2 game. Even would come up big again in the bottom of the fifth with a double and bringing in another run. She would then steal home on a double steal and make the game a 6-4 contest. Monroe would knock an RBI single in the sixth inning to widen the gap even more. In the last inning, Madison Rice would get on base with a single and later score off of a routine catching error by the Monroe first baseman that would have ended the game. The Statesmen had a chance to tie it up with a runner on second and the tying run at the plate but a ground out to second ended the game with a score of 7-4.
Errors really hurt the Statesmen today as they combined for five errors while the pitching only allowed two earned runs. Kiara Toler pitched for three and a third innings, only gave up two runs on seven hits, and struck out two. Ellen Palya came in in-relief and threw three and two-thirds innings. She gave up no runs on two hits and eight strikeouts. Leading RBC in batting today was Misty Even, going 2 for 3 with 3 RBI, 1 Run, and 1 Stolen Base. Madison Rice went 3 for 4 at the plate with 1 Run scored.
Head Coach Troy Jacobs said, "We just came up a few inches short from pulling it out today."