North Park’s Sixth-Inning Rally Enough To Get Past Softball, 5-3

Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Elms College freshman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) smashed a pinch-hit home run in the top of the seventh, but North Park University’s five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth proved to be enough as the Vikings held on for a 5-3 victory in Tuesday afternoon’s softball game at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers.

With the loss, Elms slips to 0-6 on the season.

Elms took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth before North Park rallied for five runs to stake a 5-1 lead. Vikings’ pitcher Kate Seebacher (Skokie, Ill.) led off the stanza with a walk and then advanced to second on a miscue by the Blazers’ infield. Melissa Abraham (Streamwood, Ill.) singled to give North Park runners on the corners and then stole second to advance into scoring position. Following a groundout, Analis Matta (Chicago, Ill.) belted a double to left center to plate both runners, giving the Vikings a 2-1 lead. Katie Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.) singled in Matta, and a pinch-hit walk by Shellye Leggett (Las Vegas, Nev.) gave North Park two runners on base. A double-steal moved the runners into scoring position before an RBI sacrifice bunt by Jessica Abezetian (Park Ridge, Ill.) extended the lead to 4-1. Anna Pistilli (Chicago, Ill.) then added an RBI base hit to give North Park a 5-1 cushion before Elms got out of the jam thanks to an infield popup.

Blazers’ freshman Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) led off the top of the seventh with a pinch-hit single, before Butt connected for a one-out pinch-hit bomb to pull Elms to within two at 5-3. However, Seebacher induced a pair of groundouts to end the rally and seal the victory.

Sophomore second baseman Marlene DiRaimo (Cranston, R.I.) was 2 for 2 at the plate, while senior left fielder Kim Lastowski (Turners Falls, Mass.) scored the Blazers run in the top of the first stanza.

Junior pitcher Ani Ramsdell (Gardner, Mass.) fell to 0-3 on the season. The right-hander allowed just six hits and struck out a batter in the losing effort.

Seebacher fanned seven batters to highlight the win for North Park.

Elms concludes Gene Cusic Classic action on Wednesday, March 10 with a 1:00 p.m. meeting with St. Lawrence University and a 3:00 p.m. showdown with Ohio Wesleyan University.