BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman outfielder
Sofie Richland extended her hitting streak to 12 consecutive games, notching hits in both games of UMass Boston Softball's doubleheader against Curry College, but the Beacon offense would be unable to keep pace with the Colonels' bats, falling 11-6 and 12-2 at home on Thursday afternoon.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 6, Curry College 11
UMass Boston 2, Curry College 12 (5 Innings)
UMass Boston (19-16)
Curry College (15-19-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: UMass Boston 6, Curry College 11
Curry College would plate 11 runs across the first five innings of play highlighted by three RBIs from junior outfielder Madelyn White on an RBI single and two-run double beginning and ending that scoring stretch. Three RBIs would also come off the bat of sophomore pitcher Jillian Rogers on her two-run triple as well as a sacrifice fly, a couple errors would allow Rogers to score on her triple and plate a second run on her sacrifice fly. Sophomore outfielder Natalia O'Kleasky and senior catcher Madison Schwartz each drove in a run as well on a sacrifice fly and RBI single
However, UMass Boston would fight back in hopes of pulling off the comeback victory. Trailing 9-0, junior infielder
Lauryn Bethea got the scoring started with a long RBI double to right field, plating Richland from first, making it an eight-run game, 9-1. After the Colonels responded with two runs in the fifth, the Beacons would punch back in a big way in the bottom half of the frame.
Bringing home five runs in the fifth, UMass Boston would force Curry College to go to junior pitcher Caitlyn Wood in the circle as they continuously threatened Rogers. The first three batters of the inning would reach with a single from Richland, a walk to Bethea, and single by senior outfielder
Sydney Sanden to load the bases with nobody out. Sophomore utility player
Amauri English would knock home two with her RBI single and freshman infielder
Lauren Miner would plate another on an error by senior outfielder Emily Bussiere immediately after.
Recording the first out of the fifth would yield another run for the Beacons as freshman outfielder
Kyleigh Gray's sacrifice fly scored English to make it an 11-5 ballgame. Electing to go to Wood, during sophomore outfielder
Mackenzie Cahill's pinch-hitting appearance, Miner would swipe third and score as the throw from senior catcher Madison Schwartz sailed into left field as the Beacons pulled within five, 11-6.
From there, Wood would settle into a rhythm, escaping the fifth inning and allowing just two Beacons to reach base in the final two innings to secure the 11-6 game one victory for the Colonels.
Game 2: UMass Boston 2, Curry College 12 (5 Innings)
The Colonels' bats would continue to go to work in game two with timely hitting leading to seven unanswered runs between the second and third innings. Loading up the bases against freshman pitcher
Adrianna Fusco, a walk to O'Kleasky, a two-run double for Rogers, and sacrifice fly from White gave Curry College a 4-0 lead after two. A three-run third for the Colonels made it 7-0 in favor of the visitors after a passed ball, RBI groundout from Bussiere, and the third run batted in for Rogers on a sacrifice fly.
Senior catcher
Tam Landry led off the bottom of the third with a deep triple to center field before Curry College went to their bullpen and brought in sophomore pitcher Hailey King. Richland would be the first batter the sophomore would face, and her sacrifice bunt would plate the first run of the game for the Beacons. Following a leadoff double from Bethea, senior first baseman
Jordan Toomey's RBI single in the fourth would bring the Beacons within five runs, 7-2.
A bases-clearing triple from junior infielder Taylor McDermott in the midst of an RBI walk to Rogers and pinch-hit sacrifice fly by freshman outfielder Alli Mansfield resulted in a five-run fifth for Curry College who saw their lead expand to 10 runs, 12-2. The UMass Boston offense would not go down quietly as they loaded the bases with two outs against Hailey King before the sophomore would retire the side to earn the doubleheader sweep for the Colonels in five innings.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Sofie Richland finished the doubleheader 4-for-5 with four singles, an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored
- With hits in both games, Sofie Richland extends her hitting streak to 12 consecutive games
- Jillian Rogers led Curry College with a 4-for-5 afternoon, two singles, a double, a triple, seven RBIs, a walk, and four runs scored
- Sydney Sanden went 5-for-7 across both games with two doubles and a run scored, she has reached safely in three consecutive games now
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston heads on the road for their final regular season doubleheader against Nichols College next Thursday afternoon with game one kicking off at 2:30 PM. This will be the first matchup between the two teams since the 2008 season in which they faced off in Tuscon, Arizona during spring break.
