ARLINGTON, Va. – The Neumann University softball team advanced to the Atlantic East Championship game with a 5-4 win over Marywood University in the first game of the day. The Knights then fell to Marymount University 2-1 in a walk-off in the Atlantic East Championship game.
Rylie Norris was named the Elite Scholar, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the championship.
Marywood struck early in game one as it scored two runs in the first and one in the second for a 3-0 lead. Neumann put together four runs in the bottom of the second.
With two runners on base,
Natalie Jairdullo hit an RBI double to score
Nicole Anderson.
Dakota Marshall scored on a wild pitch. Norris singled to score Jairdullo.
Emily Ammon came around to score on a single by
Ellie Zarnawski.
The Knights added a run in the fifth as Jairdullo singled to knock in Marshall. The Pacers scored a run in the top of the seventh and had runners on base, but
Marina Costello shut them down to send the Knights to the championship game.
Costello went the distance in the circle for the win. Over 7.0 innings, she allowed four runs on 11 hits and struck out a pair.
Heading into the game against Marymount, Neumann would have to win two to win the championship. The Knights struck quickly as Ammon and
Gracie Jairdullo led off with back-to-back walks. Costello knocked in Ammon for an early 1-0 lead.
The Saints had runners on first and third and tied the game at one on a wild pitch in the third inning. It came down to the bottom of the seventh where Marymount had runners on second and third with two outs. Where it looked like the Knights would get out of the inning and head to extras with a groundout, the throw got away and the Saints scored on an error for the 2-1 walk-off win.
Sydney Wright took the loss, going 6.2 innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on eight hits. The junior struck out four.
Neumann finishes its season 20-19 overall and as the runner up in the Atlantic East. It is the first time the Knights have finished over .500 since COVID.
