RCTC's national title hopes dashed at NJCAA softball World Series
May 23—CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — It came down to the last team that had a chance to hit.
Unfortunately for the Rochester Community and Technical College softball team, that wasn't the Yellowjackets.
RCTC staged an inspired rally in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score 11-11, but Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester had the last chance to bat, and it came through.
Roadrunners' first baseman Nayelis Sanchez led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double. After RCSJ outfielder Grace Gallagher failed to get a bunt down, fouling out for the first out, second baseman Anna Cirucci doubled to the left-center field gap to drive in Sanchez and end RCTC's hopes of playing back into the national championship picture.
RCSJ Gloucester pulled out a 12-11 victory against RCTC in an elimination game of the NJCAA Division III softball World Series.
The loss drops No. 8-seeded RCTC (19-20 overall) into Friday's seventh-place game, at noon. It will be the season finale for the Yellowjackets, who qualified for the national tournament for the first time in more than 15 years.
They got off to a strong start Thursday, scoring four runs on three hits and one RCSJ error in the top of the first inning. A two-run triple by Kasson-Mantorville grad Abby Zahn, an RBI double by pitcher Zoey Clark and a sacrifice fly by Jada James gave RCTC an early edge.
The Yellowjackets extended their lead in the top of the third, on a two-run double by James and an RBI single by another K-M grad, Michaela Kern. That gave the Yellowjackets a 7-1 lead.
It was also the last runs they would score until their backs were against the wall in the top of the seventh and final inning.
By that time, the No. 4-seeded Roadrunners had rallied for an 11-7 lead, scoring at least one run in every inning except the first.
RCTC didn't go away quietly, though. It used three hits and an error to tie the score, including an RBI single by Clark, a sacrifice fly by Bailey Monson, and a sacrifice fly by Kern.
RCTC will face either No. 6 seed C.C. of Rhode Island or No. 7 seed Herkimer College in the Friday's seventh-place game.
BOX SCORE: RCSJ Gloucester 12, RCTC 11
NJCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL TOURNAMENT BRACKET
