FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Runners left on base was the story of the afternoon for UMass Boston Softball on Thursday afternoon, as the Beacons suffered their first doubleheader sweep of the season against Framingham State University in a six-inning game one final and then 5-4 in game two in a pair of games. Across both games, UMass Boston left a total of 18 runners on base.
 
THE BASICS

UMass Boston 2, Framingham State University 10 (6 Innings)
UMass Boston 4, Framingham State University 5
 
UMass Boston (16-8)
Framingham State University (17-9)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1: UMass Boston 2, Framingham State University 10 (6 Innings)
Sophomore pitcher Adrianna Fusco made her first collegiate start and after working around two runners on base with two outs in the first inning, Framingham State University's offensive attack would get the bats working in the second frame. Four runs would cross the plates for the Rams on a pair of RBI singles by sophomore utility player Brooke Grassia and graduate shortstop Camille Desrochers around a two-run triple from sophomore infielder Makayla Rooney.

Rooney and Desrocher would be part of the five-run third inning that Framingham State would string together with the duo recording an RBI single and two-run double respectively. Meanwhile, RBI singles from senior second baseman Keely Scotia and junior outfielder Gwendolyn Carpenter helped power the rest of the inning's offense for the Rams to jump ahead, 9-0.

After stranding the bases loaded in the fourth, the Beacons would snag a pair of runs as senior outfielder Sydney Sanden notched an RBI double and senior catcher Tam Landry worked a two-out bases loaded walk to make it a 9-2 ballgame before freshman pitcher Olyvia Mendonca finished off the inning which would be her last en route to the starter's third win in the circle this season.

With Scotia reaching on a fielder's choice in the sixth which plated the 10^th run of the game for Framingham State, the Rams would take an eight-run lead, giving them the mercy rule after 5 1/3 innings with a 10-2 victory over the Beacons.
 
Game 2: UMass Boston 4, Framingham State University 5
Junior pitcher Bri Melchionda would get the start in game two which would see Framingham State go up 2-0 quickly in the first inning after another RBI base knock for Desrocher who would later score on a wild pitch by Melchionda. UMass Boston would have a chance to respond in the second, putting two runners in scoring position with one out but junior pitcher Ally Moran would come back to retire sophomore catcher Kaitlyn Sawyer and Landry to escape trouble.

The two-run deficit would be slowly chipped away at by the Beacons who got one run back in the third inning on a sacrifice groundout by Sanden which scored freshman outfielder Sofie Richland from third who led the inning off with a single and stolen base. After leaving two on in the fourth, the fifth inning would be where UMass Boston broke through against Moran, loading the bases with two outs for junior third baseman Lauryn Bethea who would tie the game at three with a two-run single.

Facing junior pitcher Emily Doble, who came on in relief on Melchionda in the second inning, Framingham State would strike for three unanswered runs across the fifth and sixth. The tying run would come home in the fifth on a bases loaded walk by Doble to junior first baseman Kelsey McGull followed by a one-out, two-run single from Rooney in the sixth that saw the Rams jump ahead by two runs once again, 5-3.

UMass Boston would not go away quietly, putting runners on first and second with one out in the seventh inning against Moran, sending freshman infielder Lauren Miner to the dish as the potential go-ahead run. Miner would continue her impressive rookie season with an RBI single that cut the Beacons' deficit down to one, 5-4, with Bethea next in the order who ended up flying out. Down to their last out, senior first baseman Jordan Toomey would be retired by Moran with a pop out to second base, securing the doubleheader sweep for Framingham State.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Adrianna Fusco made her first collegiate start in game one, going 5 1/3 innings while allowing nine runs on 11 hits, striking out three, and walking eight as she dropped to 1-1 in the circle
• As a team, UMass Boston stranded nine total runners including two bases loaded opportunities in game one
• Taking the loss in game two, Emily Doble went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out and walking five, she is now 6-6 on the season
• After starting the season 15-4, UMass Boston has lost four of their last five games

WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston hops back into Little East Conference play on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader against Plymouth State University in which game one will start at 1:00 PM. The two teams split their doubleheader last season in Boston, Massachusetts before the Panthers came out on top against the Beacons in the LEC Tournament, 4-3, to end UMass Boston's season.