WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – After struggling in game one and falling 10-2 in six innings, UMass Boston Softball pulled ahead against the Little East Conference's top team in Eastern Connecticut State University in the early going before ultimately falling to the Warriors who made a gradual comeback to earn the doubleheader sweep with a 6-4 victory. The pair of losses drops the Beacons to seventh in the LEC at 4-8 this season.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 2, Eastern Connecticut State University 10 (6 Innings)
UMass Boston 4, Eastern Connecticut State University 6
UMass Boston (18-13, 4-8 LEC)
Eastern Connecticut State University (20-8, 10-0 LEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: UMass Boston 2, Eastern Connecticut State University 10 (6 Innings)
Four first-inning runs would see Eastern Connecticut take control of the game as two runs would come across on an error by senior utility player
Tam Landry with two outs in the frame. Freshman utility player Emma Marelli and sophomore utility player Alexa Boone each notched an RBI single making it a 4-0 ballgame.
The Beacons would look to go to work against senior utility player Carley Stoker in the second as freshman infielder
Lauren Miner led off the inning with a solo home run and UMass Boston would put runners on first and second with two outs. Graduate third baseman Julia SanGiovanni's error on a ball hit by freshman outfielder
Sofie Richland would cut the Beacon deficit to two, 4-2, before Stoker escaped trouble by retiring sophomore infielder
Kaylee Bruce.
Six unanswered runs would come across the plate for the Warriors via a UMass Boston error, an RBI double by Marelli, and four RBIs from Boone which included a single and two doubles, as well as the game-winning hit in the sixth inning to force the eight-rule mercy rule and give Eastern Connecticut the 10-2 victory in game one.
Game 2: UMass Boston 4, Eastern Connecticut State University 6
Getting the first two batters on to start the game, UMass Boston would take their first lead of the afternoon after sophomore utility player
Amauri English hit a three-run home run off of senior pitcher Alyssa Vilchez and senior first baseman
Jordan Toomey tacked on a fourth run of the frame for the Beacons with an RBI single which ultimately forced Vilchez out of the game.
In her place would enter Stoker and similar to game one, she would shut down the UMass Boston lineup for the final six innings while her team chipped away at the deficit. Sophomore utility player Victoria Heaphy got one back for the Warriors in the first inning off of junior pitcher
Bri Melchionda with an RBI single and an inning later a passed ball as well as an RBI double by junior outfielder Sarah Remillard brought home two more runs for Eastern Connecticut to make it a 4-3 game.
After the Beacons were unable to plate two runners in scoring position with one out in the top of the frame, senior outfielder Taylor Darby tied the game up in the third inning with an RBI single and in the sixth inning a Remillard sacrifice bunt gave the Warriors their first lead of the game, 5-4. Eastern Connecticut added on an insurance run on Vilchez's sacrifice fly while Stoker worked a scoreless seventh to secure the doubleheader sweep for the Warriors with the 6-4 win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- With her fourth home run of the season in game one, Lauren Miner moves into a tie for fourth all-time in program history for single-season home runs, she needs just 12 more to tie Roxanne Vento for most career home runs
- Lauren Miner finished the doubleheader with a 4-for-6 day, registering a double and a home run
- Amauri English is tied for the team-lead in home runs with Lauren Miner at four, English leads the team with 27 RBIs this season
- UMass Boston has lost 12 consecutive games dating back to 2017 against Eastern Connecticut State University
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston gets ready to play six of their final eight games at home down the stretch, kicking off a four-game homestand with a Little East Conference doubleheader against Castleton University scheduled for Tuesday afternoon with game one starting at 3:00 PM. After splitting their regular season meeting last season, the Beacons fell in their opening game of the LEC Tournament to the Spartans, 5-4.
