DELHI, N.Y. (April 10, 2021) - The SUNY Delhi softball team made the most of their first home doubleheader in two years Saturday with a NAC West twin bill with SUNY Canton. The Broncos overcame a 3-0 deficit late in game one to force extra innings, then rallied from a 4-3 eighth-inning hole with two runs in the bottom half for a walkoff 5-4 victory. Delhi opened the latter affair with a four-run first, then seven more over the fifth and sixth innings to take an 11-3 win.
Sunday's Broncos/Roos doubleheader originally scheduled at Delhi has been moved to Canton due to weather considerations. Please be advised of each institution's spectator policy and check RooAthletics.com for live links: LIVE VIDEO
GAME ONE: DELHI 5, CANTON 4 (8 INNINGS)
Pitcher Mel Papuli proved effective yet again with eight strikeouts and retiring her first eight batters. The Roos, however, picked up a run in the third and two more in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. The Broncos, who were subjected to a ten-strikeout performance from Roos pitcher Kayla Chavarri and held scoreless through five, finally broke through in the sixth. With Shelby Nolan and Mel Papuli on base with two outs, Dakota Baker delivered a two-RBI double, followed by a Carissa Crandall double to bring Baker home to tie things up. The game went an extra frame into the eighth inning, with a runner starting on second. The Roos' Jordan Knapp brought home Mackenzie Currie to put Canton up 4-3 entering the bottom frame. With Nolan on base to start the inning, she advanced to third on a wild pitch, then Papuli drove her in on a single to right field. Jessica Kwasnik walked to put two runners on base for the Broncos. A Katelynn Rose groundout to the catcher allowed Kwasnik and Papuli to advance to second and third, respectively. That brought up Dakota Baker, whose nine-pitch at bat paid off when a wild pitch brought home Papuli for the game-winner.
Papuli surrendered just six hits with one earned run, while batting 2-for-4 with one RBI. Nolan and Kayla Beers also batted 2-for-4. Mackenzie Sparacino stole one base.
GAME TWO: DELHI 11, CANTON 3 (6 INNINGS)
The Broncos got off to a rocking start in the second matchup with a four-run first, all of which came on passed balls or wild pitches. Canton settled down a recuperated with a three-run third against Delhi pitcher Katelynn Rose to cut the Broncos' lead to 4-3. That would be all Rose would allow however, as her six innings of work produced just five hits allowed and one earned run, along with one strikeout. Rose contributed to Delhi's next run with the bases loaded in the fifth, as she reached first on an error at short to bring home a run to make it 5-3. Dakota Baker came up next, hitting into a fielder's choice to the shortstop, where Hailey Bentley unsuccessfully attempted to throw Mel Papuli out at the plate to make it 6-3. Delhi charted a five-run sixth to put the eight-run rule in effect, starting with Papuli bringing in Mackenzie Sparacino on a fielder's choice to second in another Roos attempt to throw the runner out at home. A Jessica Kwasnik groundout to short allowed Shelby Nolan to come home. Rose picked up her second RBI of the game on a RBI single to right center. After Baker was hit by a pitch to advance Rose to second, Kayla Beers called it a day with a two-RBI double to left center to bring in Rose and Baker.
In the batter's box, Rose finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Beers also went 2-for-4 with one double and two RBIs. Mackenzie Sparacino stole two bases, with Nolan and Jaylynn Sheppard stealing one base.
