Alicia Daniele stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning and hit a line drive straight into left field, with runners in scoring position. 

But the cheers of the home crowd at Rotch Field during the second game of a doubleheader were silenced as the left fielder made a diving catch and forced the game to continue into the ninth.

“The moment I hit it, I thought we were going to win,” said Daniele, a junior writing, literature, and publishing major. “But then I rounded first base and heard the girl made the catch of her life, so you win some and you lose some.”

Emerson, however, rallied and scrambled to overcome a three-run ninth inning by Albertus Magnus College, scoring four times in the final inning to win the game 6-5. 

The Lions were unable to string together hits for the majority of the game, but capitalized on numerous Albertus Magnus defensive errors, scoring three unearned runs.

Lauren Jacaruso, a pitcher who was a designated hitter for the game, said the Lions are accustomed to fighting back late in games.

“We are used to playing catch-up,” said Jacaruso, a junior marketing communication major. “Our team always plays well with two outs when we’re down: Someone always steps up, and so we don’t ever panic when we’re losing.”

Head coach Phil McElroy said that the slow pitching of the Falcons affected Emerson’s offensive efficiency.

“The day before, we were playing a team that was throwing in the low 70s, and we came here today and were facing kids that were throwing in the 50s, so that adjustment was hard,” McElroy said. “But our bats are not in their full force right now — our bats will warm up when the weather changes, and the further we get into the season, the better we will be.”

Emerson did not have a run batted in until the ninth inning, but took advantage of three early errors by Albertus Magnus’ catcher, who threw two wild balls down the third baseline, allowing two runners to score. 

The team also had a third of its hits in the final inning, and left a total of eight runners on base.

This is Emerson’s fifth come-from-behind-win this season.

The Lions are currently ranked first in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, with a 4-0 conference record and  have a 7-7 overall record. Their next home game is scheduled for March 29 against Brandeis University.