BOSTON, Mass. – Another Little East Conference doubleheader for UMass Boston Softball turned into a nailbiter for the Beacons as a walk-off win for WestConn in game one, 5-4, gave way to a 3-1 victory for UMass Boston in what would turn out to be a pitchers' duel in game two.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 4, WestConn 5
UMass Boston 3, WestConn 1
UMass Boston (16-6, 3-3 LEC)
WestConn (13-13, 1-5 LEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: UMass Boston 4, WestConn 5
Freshman infielder Benni Tucci knocked home the first run of the game in the third inning with an RBI single against junior pitcher
Emily Doble which would be responded to right away by the Beacons in the fourth inning when freshman infielder
Lauren Miner hit an RBI triple, her LEC-leading fifth of the season, to tie the game up at one.
Sophomore utility player
Amauri English gave UMass Boston their first lead of the afternoon when her single knocked home two runs with the bases loaded to make it a 3-1 ballgame in the fifth. The Wolves answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame as junior utility player Sydney Chenoweth's RBI single made it a one-run game before an error by junior third baseman
Lauryn Bethea allowed the tying run to score. Sophomore infielder Amber Roggendorf tallied the go-ahead run with her RBI single to send the Wolves into the sixth with a 4-3 lead.
The Beacons would not go down quietly, loading the bases with one out in the seventh inning and following a Bethea strikeout, tie the game at four with a walk issued by senior pitcher Hailey Golembiewski to Miner. But WestConn would proceed to load the bases against Doble with one out and sophomore infielder Madison Zicchinelli would give the Wolves the 5-4 win with her sacrifice fly.
Game 2: UMass Boston 3, WestConn 1
Like in the second game against Southern Maine, a pitchers' duel would break out between junior pitcher
Bri Melchionda and sophomore pitcher Olivia Bordenaro which saw UMass Boston amass just two hits and leave four runners on through four innings while Melchionda would throw 3 1/3 innings before allowing her first hit to the Wolves, a single by freshman outfielder Isabella Pincince.
That would eventually lead to a run for WestConn as an error by senior first baseman
Jordan Toomey allowed runners to reach second and third for Chenoweth's RBI groundout to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.
The Beacons would break through against Bordenaro in the sixth inning as it would be sophomore catcher
Kaitlyn Sawyer tying the game up with an RBI single and then sophomore infielder
Kaylee Bruce gave the Beacons the lead with her RBI single to center, 2-1.
Snagging an insurance run in the seventh, an RBI single by Bethea would give the Beacons a two-run lead, 3-1, and Melchionda would take care of business in the bottom half of the frame to secure the doubleheader split on the road against the Wolves.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Emily Doble spun 6 2/3 innings for UMass Boston, allowing five runs (three earned) on 12 hits while striking out six and walking none
- Recording five errors across both games, the UMass Boston fielding percentage dropped to .933 on the year
- Bri Melchionda went the distance to earn her ninth win of the season, allowing one run (unearned) on three hits while striking out six and walking one
- Across both games, UMass Boston amassed seven runs on 10 hits
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston will return to the field on Thursday afternoon for a road doubleheader against Framingham State University with game one scheduled to start at 3:00 PM. In their last doubleheader which took place back in 2019, the Beacons swept the Rams at home, 5-1 and 8-0.
