Softball Walks-Off in Game 2 to Split Opening Day

CLERMONT, FL - The Elms College Softball team opened up their 2024 season in a non-conference doubleheader Sunday morning against Saint Vincent College and Bluffton University at Legends Way for the Spring Games Collegiate Softball Tournament.

BASICS
Game 1
Score: Elms College 0 | Saint Vincent College 10
Records: Blazers 0-1, 0-0 (GNAC) | Bearcats 1-0, 0-0 (PAC)

Game 2
Score: Elms College 8 | Bluffton University 7
Records: Blazers 1-1, 0-0 (GNAC) | Beavers 0-2, 0-0 (HCA)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
First-year Kaelyn Zakaitis (Amherst, MA) made her collegiate debut for the Blazers in an eventual 10-0 loss. The first-year allowed seven hits and four earned runs over two and two-thirds innings. Junior Kyla Cook (Tauton, MA), senior Kelsey Bennett (Chicopee, MA), and first-year Amanda Raymond (Auburn, ME) each collected one hit for the Blazers while the Bearcats' stellar defense kept the rest of the Blazers off of the basepaths.

Game 2
The Blazers took Sunday's second game in dramatic fashion, with an 8-7 walk-off victory. With Elms down 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning, senior Josie Cammarata (Wolcott, CT) singled, knocking in first-year Caity Flynn (Colchester, CT) and junior Katie Cosmos (Wolcott, CT). 

Elms College came back to win despite trailing 7-1 in the fifth. The Blazers scored five runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. First-year Jill Dykema (Preston, CT) made her first collegiate start in the circle for the Blazers, giving up three hits and three earned runs over five innings, striking out three. Zakaitis came in as relief, pitching two shutout innings, striking out one. 

The Blazers amassed 13 hits in the game with Cammarata and Flynn collecting three hits each, with Dykema and Cosmos collecting multiple hits as well. Cammarata and junior Sarah Fortini (Florida, MA) each drove in two runs in the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• In 4.2 Innings Pitched, Zakaitas threw two shutout innings and a strikeout allowing eight hits on her first day on the rubber.

• Flynn would record two base hits, a double, two runs, drove in a run, and struck out a batter.

• Cammarata would add three hits, two runs batted, and a run to her career totals.

UP NEXT: The Elms Softball team will take on Penn State University-Behrend and Allegheny College in a doubleheader in Clermont, FL on Monday, March 4th at 9:00 AM and 1:45 PM.

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