Gonsky, Liska Pitch Softball To Sweep In Florida
BOX SCORE (vs. CONCORDIA) | BOX SCORE (vs. KEENE ST.)
CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Babson College softball team used a pair of late-inning rallies to win two more games on Wednesday morning, as the Beavers defeated both Concordia-Wisconsin, 3-2, and Keene State College, 2-1. With the sweep, Babson is now 6-2 during its spring break trip to Florida.
The Beavers took an early lead against Concordia, as junior Brittney Russo tripled and scored on a bunt single by senior captain Kim D'Agostino in the top of the second. That lead would last until the bottom of the third, when Concordia plated two runs against first-year pitcher Lauren Gonsky to move ahead, 2-1.
Things stayed that way until the top of the sixth, when Russo dropped a ball into shallow right that turned into an RBI fielder's choice that tied the game at 2-2. Two batters later, a passed ball allowed sophomore Nicole Giuliano to scamper home from third, giving Babson a 3-2 advantage.
This time, Gonsky would hold onto the lead, as she capped off a brilliant complete game effort by stranding the tying run at second in each of the final two innings. For the game, the rookie hurler allowed just two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out a career-high nine batters. The victory was the first of her collegiate career.
Game two also featured a magnificent pitching performance, as junior Danielle Liska allowed only one run on eight hits, walked none and struck out eight in her fourth complete game of the spring. With the win, she remained perfect at 4-0 on the season.
Liska's only blemish of the day came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Katie Allenson blasted a leadoff homer to give Keene State a 1-0 advantage. That lead would be short-lived, however, as the Beavers plated a run in the top of the fifth to tie the contest at 1-1. Senior captain Courtney Thurston reached on an error, was sacrificed to second by senior captain Kaitlyn Clark, and scored on an RBI double by first-year Nicole Latini.
Babson scored what would prove to be the game-winning run in the top of the sixth, as first-year pinch runner Jillian Smith stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored when another wild pitch skirted through the catcher's legs and to the backstop. Keene State would put the tying run on third with two outs in the seventh, but Liska struck out the final batter of the game to finish off the 2-1 win.
