April 2, 2009
Box Score
BOSTON, MA - Sophomore outfielder Christina Polsonetti (Revere, MA) went 5-8 with a pair of triples, seven runs batted in and four runs scored to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Becker College today, winning the opener, 12-1, and the nightcap, 18-5, at the Clark Athletic Center field on the campus of UMB. The Beacons win their third consecutive game to improve to 6-12 on the season, while the Hawks fall to 0-9.
UMass Boston took a 2-0 first inning lead in the first game when senior Lauren O'Connor (Everett, MA) smacked a two-out single to left and trotted home on a two-run home run over the left center field fence by senior Courtney Haroules (Littleton, MA). Becker cut the deficit in half in the top of the third when freshman Kimmy MacKay (Bethlehem, NH) singled to left field and scampered to third on a single to left field by sophomore Rachel Weidele (Woodbridge, NJ). A wild pitch brought MacKay home with the Hawks only run of the game.
The Beacons responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning when Haroules singled up the middle and moved to second on a walk drawn by sophomore Elisa LaRoche (Westford, MA). Senior Jenn Widener (Hyde Park, MA) followed with a run-scoring single up the middle, before LaRoche later scored on an error to give UMB a 4-1 margin. Widener later scored on a wild pitch and freshman catcher Lisa Polsonetti (Revere, MA) followed with a single through the left side to give the home team a 6-1 lead. UMass Boston put the game away with six runs in its half of the fourth, keyed by back-to-back RBI walks worked by Lisa Polsonetti and freshman right fielder Jaci Goodwin (Melrose, MA) and a two-run single to right center field by Christina Polsonetti to give the Beacons a 10-1 advantage. Freshman shortstop Ashley Faiella (Hyde Park, MA) knocked in another run with a fielder's choice and Christina Polsonetti scored UMB's final run on a wild pitch.
Freshman pitcher Kara Willis (Burrillville, RI) earned the victory for UMass Boston, going five complete innings in a game that was shortened due to the eight-run mercy rule and allowed just one run on six hits and a walk, while fanning four. Freshman hurler Jessica Lewis (Bellingham, MA) suffered the loss for Becker, allowing 12 runs (five earned) on seven hits and six walks.
UMass Boston shined right from the start in game two, breaking the game open with seven runs in the first frame with a pair of runs coming on wild pitches, another on a steal of home on the back end of a double steal and an error for a 4-0 lead. Senior third baseman Brittainy Knight (Buxton, ME) later cracked a sacrifice fly to left field and Christina Polsonetti drove in two more runs with a single down the left field line to give UMB a 7-0 advantage. The Beacons bats stayed hot in the second as they crossed the plate six more times. Goodwin laced a bases loaded two-run single through the right side and junior right fielder Amanda Cianciulli (Billerica, MA) later reached on an infield single to shortstop to plate another run and give UMass Boston a 10-0 lead. The Beacons added another run when Goodwin scored on the back end of a double steal and Christina Polsonetti raced around the bases with a two-run triple to give UMass Boston a commanding 13-0 lead. The Beacons seemed to be cruising right along until Becker erupted for five runs in the third when sophomore right fielder Jordan Simard (Lexington, MA) reached on a one-out single and MacKay and Weidele followed suit with singles of their own to load the bases for Fogaren, who cleared the bases with a grand slam homer over the left field fence. Free passes to Lewis and sophomore Kristin Cammuso (Rutland, MA) set up an RBI single off the bat of junior shortstop Shannon Tibbetts (Warren, MA) to cut the deficit to 13-5. UMass Boston answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, though when Cianciulli slapped a one-out RBI single to right field and Christina Polsonetti legged out her second triple of the contest to knock in two more runs, before she scored on an overthrow to give the Beacons a 17-5 advantage. UMass Boston tacked on the final run of the afternoon in the fourth on an error, before the game was halted following the fifth inning, due to the mercy rule.
Willis (6-9) picked up her second win of the afternoon for UMB, yielding five runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings, while striking out three. Fogaren took the loss for the Hawks, allowing 15 runs (13 earned) on eight hits and eight walks to go with a strikeout in two frames.
Lisa Polsonetti reached base six times for UMass Boston with a pair of singles and four walks, while scoring four runs and knocking in two others, while Haroules finished going 2-6 with four runs and two RBI. Fogaren excelled at the plate for Becker, going 4-4 with a walk, three doubles and a homer to go with four RBI and a run scored, while Tibbetts was 2-4 with a run batted in.
The Beacons will be in action again on Saturday, April 4 when they host Little East Conference foe UMass Dartmouth in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. at the Clark Athletic Center, while Becker travels to Chicopee, MA for a twinbill with Elms College at 2:00 p.m.
