URI team softball trip to Tampa, Fla. leaves head coach Layton optimistic

02/27/09 - The University of Rhode Island softball team traveled to Tampa, Fla., Feb. 20 to 21 to participate in The University of South Florida "The Game" tournament. The Rams went 1-3 in the tournament, earning a 9-6 win over Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and falling to the University of Albany, USF and Jackson State University by scores of 12-0, 7-1 and 3-0 respectively.Head coach Erin Layton remained optimistic after seeing her team in action for the first time in 2009, her first year at the helm for Rhody.

"There was a lot of excitement and a lot of nerves our first game, but it was great to be back out on the field," Layton said.

In game one, the Rams squared off against an Albany team who succeeded in handing Rhody what Layton called "a disappointing loss."

The Great Danes rode the arm of junior hurler Leah McIntosh to a five-inning mercy rule no-hitter.

"Against Albany we were taking some big swings and our defense was a little jittery," Layton said.

The visiting Rams opened the game with a trio of strikeouts and Albany quickly capitalized, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead on three hits off of URI starting pitcher, freshman Jayshree Narendran.

Rhody could not answer back but Narendran was able to settle down in the second inning to keep the game at 4-0.

However, in the third, the Great Danes chased Narendran out of the game thanks to three Albany hits, two URI errors and one hit batsman.

Looking at an 8-0 deficit, Layton called upon senior Odalys Torres to stop the bleeding in the fourth inning.

Albany did not appear phased by the change as it struck again with another four run inning, this time on two hits, two walks, one wild pitch and one error.

McIntosh shut down the Rams in order at the top of the fifth to secure the shortened victory.

"The good news is we improved game-by-game," Layton said. "As the tournament progressed we were able to build off of each game and raise our level of play."

In the nightcap, Rhody took on tournament-host and eventual champion USF and came out on the losing end of a 7-1 decision.

After running its hitless inning streak to six, URI sent freshman Alison Hartzell to the mound for her first collegiate start.

Freshman Janine Richardson led off the game for the Bulls and got things going in a big way as she sent one over the left field wall to make it 1-0 USF.

Hartzell rebounded by striking out the Bull's Jojo Medina before giving up four straight hits, including another homerun that would force Layton to make a pitching change.

Narendran came on in relief for Rhode Island and shut the Bulls offense down, making the score after one full inning of play, 5-0 USF.

Both teams traded zeros in the second and third innings with the Rams earning its first hit of the tournament on an infield single by junior Jackie Kampmeier in their half of the third.

The Bulls added two insurance runs in the fourth and URI added a run of its own on a throwing error in the fifth to close off the scoring.

The Rams came into day two of the tournament winless and could not change their fortune against Jacksonville State, losing 3-0.

Torres got the start for the first time in 2009 and turned in the strongest performance of the tournament for Rhody.

Jacksonville began the scoring in the first on a hit and a walk and it turned out that that is all they would need. URI could only muster two hits in the game and fell for the third straight time.

Torres went 4.1 innings and scattered three hits and three runs with Narendran coming on in relief, scattering three hits and striking out three.

Rhody would finally turn things around in the final game of the tournament, earning a hard-fought 9-6 extra inning win over Florida A&M.

"It was a complete team effort," Layton said of the victory over A&M.

Hartzell took the mound for Rhode Island, looking to rebound from her previous day's performance.

The Rams came out of the gate swinging for the first time in the tournament, registering two hits but failing to push any runs across the plate.

Hartzell successfully shut down the Rattlers in the first inning but allowed two runs on five hits and one error in the second.

Rhody struck back in the third inning with a four hit attack of their own, but could only score one run after stranding three runners on base.

A&M added runs in the third and fourth inning before trading zeros with URI in the fifth and sixth.

Staring at a 4-1 deficit and a possible fourth straight loss in the tournament, Rhody broke out for three runs on three hits and one wild pitch. A scoreless bottom half of the seventh sent the game into extra innings.

The Rams exploded for five runs in the top of the eighth thanks to one hit, one error and some sporadic pitching by the Rattlers Amanda Reyes.

A&M could only respond with two runs, securing the first victory of the season for Rhody.

"We came away with a real key victory that raised our players' spirits," Layton said.

The Rams will travel next to Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 27 to 31 to participate in the Frost Classic.

"You'll see that we're going to mirror a baseball team with our pitching," Layton said. "We're still trying to fit personnel into the right roles.