Dayton defeated Rhode Island 8-2 in the final game of their softball series, according to an announcement on April 4. Dayton’s Izzy Kemp led her team with a strong pitching performance, striking out 13 batters and allowing only five hits and four walks.
The outcome is significant for both teams as it impacts their standings in the Atlantic 10 conference. Dayton improved its record to 17-14 overall and 8-7 in conference play.
Kemp’s effort followed a previous outing where she struck out 15 batters during Friday’s doubleheader. Dayton built an early lead by scoring single runs in each of the first three innings before adding five more runs in the fourth inning. Deirdre Flaherty contributed significantly to Dayton’s offense, driving in four of the first five runs, including a solo home run and multiple singles.
Rhode Island responded with two runs in the fifth inning thanks to Kylie Bulinski’s two-run home run, marking her third homer of the season and tying her for ninth place all-time at Rhode Island with thirteen career home runs. Julianne Torres also added two hits for Rhode Island, continuing her hitting streak across recent games.
Olivia Kuhnel provided solid relief pitching for Rhode Island by throwing three scoreless innings and striking out four batters. Despite these efforts, all five hits from Rhode Island came from their top three hitters.
Looking ahead, Rhode Island will host UMass Lowell for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 7. The games are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., with both contests available for streaming on ESPN+.
