Easter Weekend Sports Recap: Setters Sweep the Scoreboards

Sequoia Cumming, Senior Reporter

Friday, April 19 

Pace softball sweeps Saint Rose 9-1 and 7-4

Pace softball enjoyed a Senior Day sweep against Saint Rose on Friday, improving its winning streak to eight games. The 9-1 and 7-4 victories improve the Setters’ record to 17-18 in the season and 8-13 in the NE-10 Conference.

The first game of the afternoon was a win by mercy rule that lasted only five innings. Junior Emma Bernet only allowed one hit while matching her season-high of eight strikeouts. She’s earned four consecutive wins, improving to 7-7 for the season and a 2.34 ERA.

Sophomore Briana Ryan opened the scoring by hitting a double to score Emma Caruth. Annie Carberry followed with her first-career triple before scoring off a single by Jillian Gartner. After Saint Rose achieved their only run of the game, Pace quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the third with sequential RBI doubles from Gartner and Lindsey Ah Soon. The game-winning run came from Arielle Acosta’s sacrifice fly that scored Alexandra Cusumano.

The Setters’ scored quickly in the second game as well, with another three-run first. With two bases covered, Carberry hit a single to left to score Acosta and Niyah Brown. Gartner sent Carberry home in the next at-bat to keep the advantage.

Pace earned another run in the second to give Kate Dolinski a 4-0 lead. The freshman continued for six innings, allowing only eight hits and two runs while striking out four to improve her record to 6-6.

Saint Rose scored in the third, but Ryan hit a three-run homer in the fourth to hold an advantage of 7-1. The sweep was completed once Dolinksi and MacKenzie Garrick held Saint Rose to three runs over the last three innings.

The Setters will finish the series against Saint Rose during their last home game of the regular season on Monday.

Pace baseball sweeps Goldey Beacom 8-4 and 5-0

Pace baseball earned a pair of wins in non-conference action against Goldey-Beacom College last Friday. The 8-4 and 5-0 victories improved Pace to 24-12 overall.

In the first game of the afternoon, the Setters were forced to come back from 3-0 and 4-1 disadvantages in the opener. After trailing 4-3 through 7.5 innings, Pace made a comeback with a five-run eighth.

The incredible eight innings was ignited when junior Brian Bohlander’s sac bunt attempt with runners on first and second was thrown away. Dean DePreta and Michael Barbato each scored on the play to give the Setters a 5-4 lead.

Alex Pia and Harrison Treble followed up with RBI singles in the eighth while Salmonese recorded a sac fly. On the mound, Thomas Ippolito tallied nine strikeouts in the eight innings bring his personal season record up to 4-1.

The second game was another complete-game triumph on the mound, this time for senior Alex Busby. Busby completed seven shutout innings to assist the Setters to a sweep.

Pia scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first after hitting a one-out double off the top of the wall in left field.

In the second inning, a Lightning error with the bases loaded earned three more runs for Pace. Joseph Curcio, Rafael Figuero, and Bohlander scored on the play. Pia doubled again in the sixth, scoring Salmonese to give Pace a 5-0 lead.

The Setters began this week with more non-conference play against Molloy on Tuesday.

Saturday

Pace men’s lacrosse defeats Bentley 21-16 on Senior Day

Pace men’s lacrosse defeated Bentley at the Setters’ final home game of the regular season, 21-16. This victory clinched the fifth-straight NE-10 Conference Tournament berth for Pace and improves the team’s record to 11-3 overall and 7-3 in the NE-10.

To celebrate Senior Day properly, Pace’s upperclassmen combined for 26 points against Bentley. Daniel Keenan was Pace’s leading scorer (again) as he scored five times and earned three assists.

Bradley Paterson scored himself a pair of goals and earned a season-high of five assists. Connor Vercruysse scored five goals, and Wyatt Barfoot added three more and an assist. Daniel O’Brien and Steven Weindler also each earned a point.

The seniors weren’t alone on the scoreboard. Underclassmen Adam Story and Bruno Surace combined for five goals and Joseph Diggle earned three helpers.

The Setters fought for a 6-5 end of the first quarter. The back-and-forth play continued throughout the first half, as both teams were tied 8-8 with five minutes left. However, a pair of clutch scores from Barfoot and Keenan gave Pace an 11-8 lead into the half.

Pace scored the first two goals of the second half, giving them control over Bentley. The Setters outscored Bentley 4-2 during the last 11 minutes of the game to finally win 21-16.

Men’s lacrosse’s last regular season game is on Wednesday as Pace travels to Assumption, who the Setters defeated last year.

Pace women’s lacrosse defeats Southern New Hampshire 19-9

The 19th-ranked Pace women’s lacrosse team won 19-9 against Southern New Hampshire. The win was pushed by a 7-0 run in the opening 10:04 of regulation. This win is Pace’s fifth consecutive victory which moves their record to 9-6 in the regular season and 7-4 in the NE10.

Johnna Leone scored at the 7:30 mark of the second half to provide Pace with their largest advantage of the game at 19-6.

The famed trio of Mary Kate Lonegan, Emma Rafferty, and Kayla Conway combined for 12 of Pace’s goals. Rafferty finished with a team-best of five goals and one assist.

Emma Norton and Aleya Corretier each scored twice, while Carlyn Mucci and Isabella Piccola each contributed three points of their own.

Freshman Sienna Masullo won in net for Pace, making seven saves and earning her ninth win of the season.

The Setters will play their final home game of the regular season against Saint Anselm on Wednesday.