(Crestview Hills, Ky.) – The Dickinson softball team dropped a heartbreaker to open the 2019 NCAA Division III Regional at Thomas More University on Friday afternoon. The Red Devils struck first but SUNY Geneseo answered and then scored in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the opener, 2-1.
The Red Devils put a run on the board in the fifth inning to take a 1-0 lead. First-year Paige Hahn (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) drew a one-out walk and sophomore Marissa Fabbo (Wilbraham, Mass./Wilbraham & Munson) hit a two-out double to score pinch-runner Natalie Krzywiec (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin).
Ashlyn Kersc tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, hitting solo homerun over the fence in right field. The Knights put a runner on third in the seventh, but the Red Devils were able to hold and keep the game level.
Brigitte Gutpelet (Norristown, Pa./Penn Charter) doubled in the top of the eighth but was left stranded at second.
The Red Devils had two outs in the bottom half of the inning before Kersc reached on a single and scored on a double from Danni Napoli to move Geneseo into the winner's bracket on Saturday.
Hahn added a single in the seventh to go 1-for-2 with a walk. Senior Madison Milaszewski (Rutland, Mass./Sutton) was solid in the circle, holding the Knights to just six hits while recording four strikeouts.
Kersc earned the win as well, tossing a three-hitter to improve to 15-3 on the season.
The Red Devils slip to 24-16 overall. They will face either Thomas Moore or Wilson College in the second game of the day on Saturday. The winner of the Thomas More/Wilson match-up will take on Geneseo at 12:00, with the second game set for approximately 2:30 pm.