Flint's Triple in Sixth Sends Rams to Third Straight Championship
#1 Farmingdale State - 7, #2 NYU-Poly - 5
Farmingdale, N.Y. - A two-RBI triple to right field in the sixth inning by sophomore third baseman Kristen Flint (Brentwood, N.Y.) put the Rams ahead 6-5, before adding an insurance run in the 7-5 victory over #2 seed NYU-Poly (22-14) gave the Farmingdale State softball team (31-5) a spot in the Championship game for the third straight season.
Poly went up 1-0 in the first on a single to center by sophomore shortstop Shelby Bruns (Elko, Nev.). With three more runs in the fourth, Poly held a 4-0 lead, before the Rams finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning with two runs on two hits and one error. Flint's RBI single scored senior Nicole Farber (Oakdale, N.Y.) for the first run of the day, before Flint stole home while a rundown was happening between first and second base.
In the fifth, Farmingdale tied it 4-4 with two more runs on three hits. Sophomore catcher Lauren Nelson (Levittown, N.Y.) started off the inning with a single up the middle, before junior center fielder Kaitlin Keenan (West Islip, N.Y.) knocked a single up the middle to score freshman pinch runner Kelly O'Brien (Center Moriches, N.Y.). Junior left fielder Rebecca Richman (West Islip, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to left which would score freshman designated hitter Amanda Morelli (Bohemia, N.Y.) for the game-tying run.
In the sixth, Poly took another lead, 5-4, on a single by sophomore center fielder Annamarie Smith (Henderson, Nev.). But Flint and the Rams would score the winning runs in the bottom of the inning for the comeback win.
Junior pitcher Hope Zino (Bay Shore, N.Y.) forced a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, improving to 19-1 on the season, striking out six and allowing just five hits.
The winner of the Championship game receives the conference's automatic bid to the Division III NCAA Tournament.
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