FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Rockford University softball team (5-1) won its third run-rule game of the season with a 14-6 victory over SUNY Delhi (0-1). The Regents scored in all six innings, including four in the first and two runs in the sixth, on a walk-off
Breanna Collins double to win the game.
Emily Cox continued her torrid hitting with three more hits, giving her 12 for the season and extending her hitting streak to six games. The Regents have now scored ten runs in five of their six games and recorded at least ten hits of four of those games.
- The game got off to a rocky start for the Regents, with SUNY Delhi scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. The Broncos had just one hit in the frame, but took advantage of two walks and a hit batter, to plate a trio of runs and take a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
- Fortunately, Rockford responded with four runs in its half of the inning to take the lead. Emily Cox drove in Rockford's first run of the day on an RBI triple to left field. After a Breanna Collins walk and stolen base, Jocelyn Callahan stroked a two-run double to left center, scoring Cox and Collins to tie the game at 3-3. One batter later, Michaela Spanbauer drove in Callahan on a sacrifice fly to left field and put the Regents out in front by a score of 4-3.
- Rockford's lead was short lived though, as the Broncos scored two runs off three hits in the top of the second to retake the lead at 5-4. It could have been much worse though if not for a excellent play by left fielder Isabella Intravaia. Intravaia came up throwing on a single to left and gunned down a Bronco runner at the plate, to prevent another run from scoring and also ended the inning.
- The Regents needed just one hit to the tie the game in the bottom of the frame. Emily Down led off the inning with a walk and then stole second to put herself in scoring position with no one out. Three batters later, Emily Cox delivered a clutch, two-out RBI single, to make it a 5-5 game.
- Rockford would then retake the lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third. The Regents had no hits in the inning, but took advantage of a trio of Bronco errors to score two runs and leap in front by a score of 7-5.
- Rockford continued to build upon its lead with three more runs in the fourth. Following another Bronco error, the Regents strung together four straight two-out singles to score their three runs. Michaela Spanbauer drove in the first run on an RBI single to left, and Isabella Intravaia drove in the remaining runs with a two-run single back up the middle.
- The Regents again took advantage of multiple SUNY Delhi errors in the fifth to make it a 12-5 ballgame. Rockford's lone hit in the inning was an infield single by Elizabeth Thomas to put runners on first and third. Two batters later, Rockford would score an unearned run on a Bronco fielding error, extending its lead to 11-5. A couple of batters later, Candace Kipp was hit by a pitch to force in the final run of the inning and give her team a seven-run advantage.
- The Broncos would not go away without a fight though, as they managed one run off two hits to shrink the Regents' lead to 12-6.
- Fortunately, Rockford scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game. Following two quick outs, Elizabeth Thomas walked and Emily Cox singled to put the winning run on first base. One batter later, Breanna Collins ended the game with a walk-off, game-winning two-run double.
- Emily Cox tallied her fourth multi-hit game of the season and extended her hitting streak to six games. Cox finished 3-for-4 with a triple, 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
- Jocelyn Callahan had her third multi-hit game of the year. Callahan went 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
- Michaela Spanbauer went 1-for-2 with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
- Breanna Collins finished 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and 2 RBIs.
- Isabella Intravaia also went 1-for-4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.
- Mariah Martinez threw her fourth complete game and moved to 5-0 this season. She went 6 innings, allowing 6 runs off 6 hits and striking out 6.
