The Quinnipiac softball team lost two games Saturday to the Niagara Purple Eagles. Quinnipiac kept it close in the first game but still lost 1-0. Both teams recorded three hits each in a pitcher’s duel between Sydney Horan and Maddie Hickingbottom. Both pitchers went all seven innings.
In the fourth inning, a ground ball got through the legs of McGalliard to give Niagara a runner on base. Soon after, Sophia Marrero lined a ball into the right-center gap to give the Niagara Purple Eagles the only run in the whole game.
In game two, the story was different for Niagara. Niagara ended this one quickly dominating the Bobcats by a score of 11-1.
Jaclyn Gonzalez started this one for the Bobcats and Lauren Hilliard finished it off. Niagara struck early in the first inning. Quinnipiac gave up three hits, recorded three errors and gave up four runs. Only two of those runs would be earned due to the Bobcat defense’s errors.
Hare started off the scoring with an RBI double and Delaney, Marrero and Moyer would make up the four runs. Quinnipiac would get some offense for themselves in the inning after Taylor Walton hit a lead-off single to start the second. She would be replaced on the base paths for Gianna Palmisano. Palmisano moved to the second third on back-to-back groundouts, and Kennedy Demott would bring her home on an RBI single up the middle.
Jaclyn Gonzalez’s outing would only get worse, though. Gonzalez was pulled in the fourth inning after giving up another run to make it 5-1. The first year, Hilliard would relieve her and would do an excellent job of leaving a runner on third after coming in with no outs in the inning. Since then, things went tragic for Hilliard. After her fourth-inning dominance, she would help Niagara get to the mercy rule with a six-run fifth inning. Hillard would strike out the first batter she faced but then would fall apart.
Hailey Canname drew a walk and would later score after a double into the gap by Moyer. Mayo would swing at the very next pitch to bring home Moyer to extend the lead to 7-1. Shortly after, the bases would be loaded for Myshrall with two outs. In a full count, Myshrall would draw a walk on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to make it 8-1. Hilliard would try to calm down after a mound visit, but Marrero was ready to put the dagger in the heart of the Bobcats. A bases-clearing double would extend the lead to 11-1 and end the game. Quinnipiac would go scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game.
The Bobcats now have fallen out of playoff contention for the MAAC Tournament, a tournament they have not qualified for since 2016. The Bobcats sit in seventh place and the MAAC only takes the top six teams. Quinnipiac has some more important MAAC series coming up against Fairfield, Manhattan and Rider to close out the season. The Bobcats wrap up the three-game series against Niagara on Sunday with an early start at 11 a.m.
