CASTLETON, Vt. – Needing just one win to keep their playoff hopes alive softball successfully bounced back from an 8-3 loss in game won, to secure an 8-5 win in the nightcap as they split with Castleton University Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Field.
THE BASICS
GM1: UMass Boston 3, Castleton University 8
GM2: UMass Boston 8, Castleton University 5 (6 inns. – game stopped due to darkness)
UMass Boston (20-16, 7-9 Little East Conference)
Castleton University (17-12, 8-6 Little East Conference)
HOW IT HAPPENED
In game one, Castleton took and early 2-0 lead before tacking on two more runs in the fourth and four in the sixth to seal their spot in the LEC Tournament. UMass Boston tried to erase the deficit in the later innings scoring one in the fifth, and two more in the ninth, but their comeback was cut short by the Spartans.
Sarah Harlinski got the Beacons on the scoreboard with an RBI single, before
Alley Diaute and
Britney Perkett each drove in a run in the ninth.
Emily Doble was handed the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits in 4.1 innings. Haley Catania finished out the game allowing the other four runs on four hits.
Game two started off just like game one, with Castleton striking for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. UMass Boston wasted no time tying the score at 2-2 in the second, before taking their first lead of the day in the third with
Sydney Sanden driving in the go-ahead run.
UMass Boston blew the game wide open in the fourth scoring five times, while holding Castleton to just three. As daylight faded quicker and quicker, the game was initially halted due to darkness, but was eventually called giving the Beacons that crucial victory.
Brianna Melchionda improved to 9-5 on the campaign after allowing the five Castleton runs on 10 hits. She also walked six and struck out five.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Beacons are now 6-3 all-time against the Spartans
- This was UMass Boston's first-ever trip to Spartan Field since Castleton joined the Little East Conference in 2017-18. The Beacons were supposed to play in Vermont in 2020, but that was cancelled due to the pandemic
- Gabriella Messier was the only Beacon to record multiple hits in game two as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored
- Haley Tilberry drove in two runs on a single in the fourth
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will close out the regular season tomorrow at 5 p.m.
