WARREN – What an unbelievable day in Warren! Macomb Softball earned a pair of thrilling comeback wins over Schoolcraft College on Tuesday (March 25), including a walk-off in game one, to pull even in MCCAA Eastern Conference play at 3-3.
The Monarchs trailed by four runs entering the seventh inning of game one and rallied to post five in the frame, capped off by a walk-off RBI single by
Alexa Garofalo for the 9-8 victory. In game two, the Monarchs once again trailed but used the 'big fly' as
Sydney Urban connected on two home runs and Garofalo hit the go-ahead shot in the sixth to secure a 6-5 win.
GAME ONE: Macomb 9, Schoolcraft 8
Trailing 8-4 entering the seventh and final inning, the Monarchs rallied with a three-hit frame, capped off by an
Alexa Garofalo RBI single to left field that scored
Raegan Hemelberg as the Blue & White earned a dramatic walk-off victory by a 9-8 final score.
Prior to the Garofalo walk-off, the rally was started by an
Aubrey Rich walk and a
Paige Muehlbrandt single to right center. With two runners on and one out,
Riley McLaughlin singled to right field to bring home Rich and advance Muehlbrandt to third. With the deficit cut to three,
Savanna Smith reached via error to score Muehlbrandt and make it an 8-6 game.
Alexa Yaklin hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring McLaughlin in and make it a one score game, 8-7, and Hemelberg tied it up one batter later with a double down the left field line that plated Smith.
Garofalo's theatrics were next as the freshman third baseman came through in the clutch for the walk-off winner.
Madalyn Roberson got the start and went the distance to record her third win of the season, while reigning MCCAA Eastern Conference Player of the Week,
Kailey Viviano, hit a two-run home run in the first inning to get the scoring started.
GAME TWO: Macomb 6, Schoolcraft 5
Grace Dzikowski got the game two nod and went on to record 11 strikeouts while scattering two hits. The impressive effort led Dzikowski to her second win in as many outings as the big bats of
Alexa Garofalo and
Sydney Urban did the rest.
After an
Alexa Yaklin RBI single got the Monarchs on the board in the second, Urban was able to keep the Blue & White within striking distance with a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning that sliced the Schoolcraft lead in half, 3-2.
Schoolcraft would tack a run on in the top of the sixth to lead the contest by a 4-2 margin, but Urban had the answer once again with a no-doubt, two-run blast that carried well beyond the center field wall to tie the game at 4-4 in the home half of the inning.
Garofalo came up clutch once again as the freshman connected on a two-run, go-ahead home run three batters later to put the Monarchs in front, 6-4, entering seventh inning.
Schoolcraft got one back in the top of the seventh but Dzikowski was able to close the door as the Monarchs earned the sweep in thrilling fashion.
UP NEXT: Friday doubleheader at SC4
The Monarchs head to Marysville City Park on Friday (March 28) for a MCCAA Eastern Conference doubleheader against the SC4 Skippers. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
