BOSTON, Mass. – Four unanswered runs for UMass Boston Softball in game one propelled them to a 5-1 victory over Emmanuel College in their home opener on Friday afternoon before a seventh-inning comeback by the Saints sunk the Beacons in game two, 4-3, as UMass Boston heads into their four-game road trip, which included their first Little East Conference doubleheader, with a 10-3 record.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 5, Emmanuel College (Mass.) 1
UMass Boston 3, Emmanuel College (Mass.) 4
UMass Boston (10-3)
Emmanuel College (7-7)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: UMass Boston 5, Emmanuel College (Mass.) 1
Another strong performance by junior pitcher
Bri Melchionda in the circle and at the plate helped the Beacons take game one of the doubleheader. Sophomore catcher
Kaitlyn Sawyer plated the first run of the afternoon for UMass Boston on an RBI infield single in the second which was matched by the Saints on an error by senior catcher
Tam Landry in the third inning to tie the game at one.
Freshman outfielder
Sofie Richland, who was 3-for-4 in game one with an RBI and stolen base, got the go-ahead run home on a single to right field in the fourth inning. Junior infielder
Lauryn Bethea tacked on another run on an RBI groundout in the fifth before Melchionda delivered the big blow in the sixth inning with a two-run double to extended the Beacon advantage to the eventual 5-1 final score.
In the circle, Melchionda went the distance and allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits while walking five and striking out four.
Game 2: UMass Boston 3, Emmanuel College (Mass.) 4
Senior third baseman Maegan Amsler started the scoring for the Saints with an RBI single in the opening frame against junior pitcher
Emily Doble before senior infielder Lylah Niederberger tacked on another run in the second inning to extend the Emmnuel College lead to two runs, 2-0.
Lauryn Bethea pulled the Beacons even in the fourth inning with her two-run double followed up by an RBI single from
Sofie Richland which capped off a stretch of three unanswered runs for UMass Boston in the fourth to reclaim the lead, 3-2.
With their backs to the walls, a leadoff double from junior shortstop Olivia Conti helped the Saints rally in the seventh inning when a sacrifice bunt from Niederberger pushed home Conti to tie the game up at three. Three consecutive singles with two outs for the Saints against Doble helped them take a 4-3 lead, but the Beacons would not go away quietly.
UMass Boston would get first and second with two outs in the bottom half of the inning with a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but a swinging strikeout by freshman infielder
Lauren Miner ended the game, giving the Beacons a doubleheader split for the afternoon.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Sofie Richland had a big day at the plate for UMass Boston, going 5-for-8 with two RBIs and two stolen bases
- Lauryn Bethea finished the doubleheader 4-for-6 with three RBIs and a double
- Lauren Miner tacked on her third triple of the year which leads the team in that category and is second in the Little East
- The 2023 UMass Boston Softball team has the second-best start in program history at 10-3
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston hits the road for a pair of doubleheaders, starting with one against Suffolk University next Thursday at 3:00 and 5:00 PM against the Rams. The two teams split their doubleheader last season with the Beacons winning 11-7 in game one before dropping game two, 12-1 at home.
