April 6, 2011

Game One Box Score    Game Two Box Score

BOSTON, MA -The University of Massachusetts Boston softball team cruised past Mount Ida College; 12-6, 10-0, in this afternoon's doubleheader matchup at the Clark Athletic Center field on the campus of UMass Boston. With the pair of victories, the Beacons improve to 13-5 on the year for the best start in the program's 30-year history while the losses drop the Mustangs to 5-15 overall.

UMass Boston got on the board early in game one, scoring a run in the first inning on an RBI groundout by sophomore catcher Sue Killilea (Abington, MA) that drove home junior right fielder Jaci Goodwin (Melrose, MA) to give UMB the 1-0 edge. The Mustangs would pull ahead in the top of the second with a pair of RBI singles RBI from sophomore pitcher Denise Picard (Winooski, VT) and junior centerfield Tracy Koukol (North Attleboro, MA) to give the visitors the 2-1 lead but it was short lived as the Beacons stuck for four unearned runs in the bottom half of the frame to regain the lead for good. Following a Mustang error that would have ended the inning, the Beacons rattled off four straight hits, capped by a two-RBI triple by Killilea to make it a 5-2 contest.

In the third, junior first baseman Lisa Polsonetti (Revere, MA) made it a 6-2 game with a solo homerun to left. UMass Boston would go on to score four more runs in the inning to break the game open with a 10-2 advantage. In the frame, sophomore shortstop Taryn Asta (Marshfield, MA) knocked home a run on an RBI triple and eventually score on an RBI single by Killilea. The Beacons would tack on another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Polsonetti, scoring freshman designated player Erika Vecchiet (Pequannock, NJ) who opened the inning up with a double.

Trailing 11-2, the Mustangs kept the game alive by scoring three times in the top of the fifth inning on a three-RBI double down the left field line by freshman third baseman Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, CT), making it an 11-5 ballgame. UMass Boston got one back with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth when senior centerfield Christina Polsonetti (Revere, MA) belted a ball to centerfield that was misplayed, allowing Polsonetti to make it all away around the bases and give UMB the 12-5 margin.

The Mustangs threatened to get back into the contest in the sixth but ran themselves out of the inning on a bizarre play. With no outs and the bases loaded, Koukol ripped an RBI single to left to make it 12-6 but on a heads up play by UMass Boston freshman leftfielder Toni Scola (Worcester, MA), the first out was recorded on a force at third base. During the same play, the Beacons were then able to throw down to second on a tag play for the second out and then on to first for the final out of the inning on another tag play as both Mount Ida runners thought the original hit to left had been caught.

Senior pitcher Emily Wolf (Salem, NH) earned the win for UMass Boston to improve to 7-2 on the year while junior pitcher Kara Willis (Burrillivile, RI) tossed the final three innings to record the save. Picard suffered the loss for the Mustangs, going the distance while allowing 12 runs (six earned) on 16 hits.

In games two, UMass Boston scored three runs in the first, four third and three more in the fourth to cruise to the 10-0 victory. Goodwin, Killilea, senior thirdbaseman Maria Nasta (Andover, MA), Vecchiet, freshman right fielder Natalia Bouyea (East Longmeadow, MA), Asta and sophomore second baseman Kasey O'Connell (Quincy, MA) all collected two hits apiece in the victory.

Junior pitcher Katie Corey (Weymouth, MA) tossed her second consecutive complete game shutouts, allowing only two hits over five innings of work while striking out three to improve to 6-3 overall on the year. The two hits she allowed were singles by sophomore pitcher Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT) and freshman third baseman Tiffany True (Haverhill, MA). Meeker suffered the game two loss for the Mustangs surrendering 10 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits.

UMass Boston will return to action on Saturday, April 9 when they travel to Mansfield, CT to take on \#16 ranked Eastern Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference doubleheader scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. The Mustangs are back in action on Friday when they host Simmons College in a GNAC twinbill slotted for a 3:00 p.m. start.