Softball: Elmwood Park defeats St Ignatius with four-run 12th

Updated: May 5, 2012 6:54PM

There were chances to break out for both offenses, but it took a four-run 12th inning for Elmwood Park to finally earn a 5-1 victory against host St. Ignatius on Saturday afternoon.

A two-out RBI single by junior second baseman Isaly Roman broke the 1-1 tie for good. Becky Gruber, Catherine Conte, and Nicole DiGiovanni followed with RBI single to make a winner of starting pitcher Gabby Uvelli.

Uvelli and St. Ignatius starter Maura Lynch both went the full 12 innings in the marathon. Uvelli struck out seven Wolfpack hitters while Lynch fanned four Tigers on the afternoon.

“It was a huge relief to not only get one run, but to compound it and get for,” Uvelli said of the 12th-inning rally. “I was able to go out there and not be as nervous to have that load on my shoulders.”

Elmwood Park (11-11) took the lead in the very first inning thanks to some aggressive base running by Conte. She reached with a two-out single before stealing second and third base. Conte then scored on a passed ball to open the scoring.

St. Ignatius (18-14) tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior short stop Gena Lenti hit a one-out single. She then advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on senior second baseman Amanda Pisani’s single.

The Tigers turned double plays to end the second, third, and fifth innings and stranded Wolfpack runners in scoring position in the 10th and 11th frames as well. Fine play from both defenses helped keep the game going.

“The defense really stepped up in this game,” Uvelli said. “Everyone was hyped up about this game. We wanted to win it very badly. My adrenaline was pumping basically the entire game.”

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