Rye Softball Crushes Pelham, Upsets Lakeland for Signature Win
The Rye Softball Team scored 30 runs on Pelham on Lakeland combined, picking up a 21-7 victory over the Pelicans on Friday, May 2, and a 9-8 win vs the Hornets on Saturday 5/3. The Garnets entered the first day of May with an 0-7 record, but have parlayed their 12-3 win over Byram Hills on May 1 into a now three-game winning streak. All three victories have come on the road.
Friday: 21-7 @ Pelham
Penelope Gilmore was the star of the show with 4.2 innings of 1-hit, 1-run softball in the circle, and a 3-4 showing at the plate. She scored three runs and drove in one more. Caroline Joyce also shined, going 3-3 with two doubles, two RBIs, and four runs. Ava Cross went 4-5 with a double, RBI, and three runs.
Other highlights included Ava Rollano (on base five times with three runs scored), Emma Stark (3 walks, two stolen bases, two runs), and Mia Escaleria (1-1, RBI, first varsity hit). Rye was in control the whole time and set a new season high in runs scored with their 21-spot.
Saturday: 9-8 @ Lakeland
Saturday’s win was the best one of the season for Rye, who defeated #5 in league standings Lakeland 9-8 on the road. The final play was a clutch, unorthodox 7-1-5 double play, which took advantage of sloppy Hornet baserunning. A fly ball to left field fell for what looked like a game-tying double. However, the pitcher Penelope Gilmore grabbed an accurate throw and tagged one runner out near home plate before firing to third, where Emma Starks applied a tag on the original Lakeland batter to complete the game-ending double play. It is worth a rewatch (skip to 2:01:40).
Gilmore earned the save after her younger sister Gigi Gilmore pitched solidly through five full innings with three earned runs against and five strikeouts. It was her first career varsity win.
Caroline Joyce recorded another three-hit game, only outshined by Charlotte Dinger, who went 4-4 with 4 RBIs and a run scored. Tessa Labowitz, Ava Cross, and Clara Meszkat all had multi-hit games as well. Meszkat individually is 7-9 during her team’s sudden three-game win streak.
Rye (3-7) is back home on their new field for their next game on Monday, May 5. They host the Harrison Huskies at 4:30pm as they look for a fourth convsecutive victory. They have eight games remaining on their schedule including that one to try to make it above .500. Replay their most recent win at the link above.
