Rogers Softball Falls to Narragansett Despite Late Rally

In a game of wild swings and lead changes, it was only appropriate that senior Marissa Pelkey ended it all on Senior Day for the Narragansett Mariners.

The game was spiraling out of control for the Mariners in the top of the seventh, as Rogers scored four runs to edge within one, 11-10. With the bases still loaded, Rogers senior Maryellen Settle smacked a hard line drive toward second base.

Unfortunately for Settle and the Vikings though, the Mariners were perfectly and somewhat bizarrely aligned for the play. Pelkey, a tall left-hander playing second, was able to reach up and snag the liner.

“It’s her birthday, too,” coach Brittany Wnuk said.

The senior finished with two doubles, and the catch on the line drive helped to make up for an error earlier in the inning. Senior Hannah Lindsley earned the win on the mound for the Mariners, pitching all seven innings and striking out eight.

The win is the fourth in a row for Narragansett (7-6, 7-6 Division II-South). Rogers (1-12, 1-11 Division II-South) head coach Thomas Milburn said his team is working on playing with more confidence and stability in a tough year for the program.

“We just need to be more consistent,” he said.

It looked like Narragansett had put the game away in bottom of the sixth. The Mariners sent 11 batters to the plate and roughed up Rogers’ pitcher Settle for six runs.

Sophomore Hannah Maymon hit a single up the middle to start the inning, and courtesy runner Kelsey Hagen moved to second on an infield single by senior Kristina Barbone. Lindsley plated Hagen with a single to left.

Senior Cassandra Couture lined out for the first out of the inning, but freshman Madeleine Cote loaded the bases on a fielder’s choice. Senior Danielle Smerbeck then knocked in Barbone and Lindsley with a single to right field, with freshman Catherine Tierney taking Smerbeck’s place as a courtesy runner.

Sophomore Ali Castrovillari and senior Lucy Tillman reached base on a fielder’s choice and a walk, reloading the bases. Pelkey then reached on an error by the second baseman, scoring Tierney, and Maymon stroked a single to right to score Tillman for the final run of the inning. The Mariners led 11-6.

However, the Vikings wouldn’t go quietly in the top of the seventh.

Settle, junior Kelsie Fountain and junior Mikaela Margolis loaded the bases on a combination of fielder’s choices and errors. From there, it was a parade on home, as hits by sophomore Sophia Waugh and freshman Laura Fountain, and a fielder’s choice from sophomore Ashley Rosa scored the previous three on-base.

Senior Krista Brouwer reached on a fielder’s choice, and Waugh came around to score. However, senior Precious Daquil flew out to center for the inning’s second out. Sophomore Alexus Simmons hit a single to right, but Settle lined out to Pelkey to end the game.

Following the game, the Mariners’ held a short Senior Day ceremony. (See attached video.) Narragansett ends the regular season sometime next week, depending on the fickle Rhode Island weather.

Today’s game at Middletown was rained out and has not yet been rescheduled. The Mariners otherwise have a long layoff, playing at Prout (10-3, 9-3 Division II-South) in Wakefield at 4 p.m. next Thursday, and host a rainout make-up with Tiverton (8-3, 8-3 Division II-East) at 4 p.m. next Friday.

Rogers hosts Classical (6-5, 6-5 Division II-East) at 4:30 p.m. Friday, and travel to Broad Rock Middle School to play South Kingstown (5-8, 5-8 Division II-South) at 6 p.m. Saturday.