WENHAM, Mass. – The Fighting Scots and Nighthawks split a pair of games on Wednesday with both games coming down to the late innings, providing late drama and final inning heroics each way.

Game One: Gordon 3 – Newbury 0

With no score, the bases loaded, and one out in the seventh, Fighting Scots junior Sarah Ryder (Telford, Pa.) singled down the left-field line, scoring two Scots as Gordon College shutout the Newbury Nighthawks 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader played at Gordon College on Wednesday afternoon.

Ryder batted 2-for-4, including the game-leading hit in the seventh. Sophomore Megan Jenkerson (McDonough, Ga.) finished 3-for-4 with a double. Freshman Caitlin Catalanotto (Kingston, N.H.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Nighthawks sophomore Noelle Sass (Randolph, Mass.) finished 1-for-1, walking twice. Sophomore Alina Milauskas (Elkridge, Md.) finished 1-for-3 with a single and stolen base. Senior Elizabeth Kia (Kea'au, Hawaii), sophomore Alexis Vieira (Pawtucket, R.I.), and senior Naomi Ricciotti (Phoenix, Ariz.) all finished 1-for-3.

Following the two-RBI single by Ryder, Catalanotto singled to score Emily Kline (Park Ridge, N.J.) for a 3-0 lead.

Gordon knocked on the door multiple times finishing the game with 12 runners left on base, including leaving two runners on in the second, third, and fifth.

The Nighthawks had a golden opportunity to get on the board early, starting the game with runners on first and second and no one out in the first.

A strikeout and back-to-back fly outs ended the Nighthawks charge in the first.

Again in the fourth, the Nighthawks had two on, but a groundout ended the inning and kept the Nighthawks off the board.

Catalanotto pitched a complete game for the Fighting Scots, allowing no runs, on five hits, striking out one. The victory moves her to 4-2 on the season.

Milauskas also pitched a complete game, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits. She finished with a season-high six strikeouts, falling to 2-3 with the loss.

Game Two: Newbury 9 – Gordon 8

In the rarest of walk-offs with one out in the seventh, Vieira hit a comebacker to the pitcher, who threw her out at first. With Sass taking off on the throw, she managed to elude the tag at home, scoring the game-winning run in the Nighthawks 9-8 victory over the Fighting Scots in the second game of Wednesday afternoon.

Sass finished 3-for-4, including a double and three runs scored. Freshman Arianna Gooden (Bakersfield, Calif.) batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kia and sophomore Tina Babcock (Ayer, Mass.) both finished 2-for-3; Babcock with a pair of RBIs, Kia added one run batted in.

Kline finished 2-for-4 in the second game, including a two-run triple. Senior Katie Dariano (Albany, N.Y.) finished 2-for-3, scoring twice. Jenkerson was 1-for-2 with a game-high three RBIs, including a two-run triple, as well.

The Nighthawks trailed 8-6 headed to the seventh and got a spark on a single by Babcock, who eventually advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches.

Milauskas singled, scoring Babcock and cutting the deficit to 8-7. Sass, the next batter, nearly ended the game with a deep drive to right-center, but the ball bounced at the base of the wall. Milauskas just beat the throw home, scoring all the way from first, tying the game 8-8.

Vieira stepped in and produced her second game-winning RBI of the season on the groundout to the pitcher.

Gordon took a pair of three-run leads in the fifth and sixth.

The first of the leads in the Fighting Scots fifth saw runners on the corners with two outs. Kline tripled to the right-field corner, scoring both runners for a 5-2.

The Nighthawks struck back to trail 5-4, but another two-run triple in the sixth by Jenkerson put the Fighting Scots ahead three again, 7-4.

Nighthawks freshman Mallory Stefan (Thornton, Colo.) earned the win following a complete game, allowing eight runs, seven earned on 10 hits. Stefan picks up her first career win, moving to 1-6.

Junior Abigail Knowlton (Deer Isle, Maine) picked up a no-decision in 4 1/3 innings. Kline relieved Knowlton in the fifth and moves to 0-5 following the loss.

The doubleheader split moves the Nighthawks to 3-9, while the Fighting Scots find themselves at 4-10.

The Nighthawks begin conference play on Saturday, traveling to Lesley for a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. The Fighting Scots carry on with Curry College this weekend beginning at 1 p.m.

Release courtesy of Newbury Sports Info