Softball Drops Pair To Owls In Conference Twin Bill

Grass collects program record 158th career hit for Green and Gold

Fitchburg, MA: The Fitchburg State Softball Team dropped a pair of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contests to the Owls of Westfield State this afternoon from the Westfield State Softball Field as the Falcons were edge 2-1 in the opener before dropping the nightcap by a score of 9-3.

THE BASICS:

- Date: 4//27/24

- Score: Fitchburg State 1, Westfield State 2 (GM1)

- Score: Fitchburg State 3, Westfield State 9 (GM2)

- Records: Fitchburg State (11-21, 5-7 MASCAC), Westfield State (23-10-1, 10-2 MASCAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED: Game One

-  Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the top of the first as senior Molly Grass (Rockland, MA) walked, moved to second on throwing miscue, advanced to third on single off the bat of classmate Julia Gauvin (Granby, MA) and scored on a fielders' choice from freshman Jessica Mueller (Fitchburg, MA) for the 1-0 advantage.

- Westfield State knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first as senior Jordyn Lummus (Pittsfield, MA) tripled to right center and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by graduate student Christina Ciampa (Rockville, CT).

- The Owls grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth with sophomore Mia Alfonso (Dalton, MA) singling through the left side and scoring on an RBI double from Ciampa for the 2-1 edge. The Falcons nearly knotted the score in the top of the seventh, loading the bases on singles by senior Dana Cisowski (Torrington, CT) and Mueller as well as a Gauvin walk, but Westfield State hurler Stephanie Scoville (Northfield, MA) retired the next two batters, resulting in the 2-1 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

-  Mueller paced the Falcons, going 3-for-4

-  Cisoswski added two hits and a run scored for the Green and Gold

-  Graduate student Sarah Cahill (Mansfield, MA) took the loss for Fitchburg State, allowing two runs on four hits and one K over six innings pitched

-  For the Owls, Ciampa finished 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI

-  Lummus added a triple and one run scored

-  Junior Katherine Canty (Natick, MA) picked up the victory for Westfield State, giving up one run on five hits and five strikeouts over five innings of work

HOW IT HAPPENED: Game Two

-  Fitchburg State grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first when Grass singled and moved to second on a fielding miscue before eventually crossing the plate on an RBI single to left by Gauvin.

-  Westfield State responded in the bottom of the first innings as sophomore Hannah Wodecki (Somers, CT) singled to bring in Lummus before junior Sarah Bingham (Reno, NV) doubled down the left field line, scoring Wodecki and Ciampa, while graduate student Alyssa Clark (Uxbridge, MA) added an RBI groundout for the 4-1 lead.

-  The Falcons cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the third with Grass and Cisowski reaching on back-to-back single before Gauvin and Mueller reached on a pair of fielders' choices. Following a single by sophomore Adria McKenzie (Lowell, MA), junior Isabella Sousa (Charlton, MA) laced a two-run single to right field.

-  The Owls pushed the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth as Alfonso ripped a bases-clearing double to centerfield, scoring Clark, senior Abby Clark (Uxbridge, MA) and sophomore Sarah Hough (Southwick, MA). Westfield State secured the victory in the following stanza with Wodecki connecting on a solo home run and an RBI fielders' choice from Clark, resulting in the 9-3 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

-  This afternoon's contest marked the 83rd meeting between the two teams on softball field with the Falcons 27-66 all-time when taking on the Owls

-  Grass led the way for the Falcons, hitting 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Falcons. With those two hits, Molly set the program record for hits in career with 158

-  Sousa added one hit and two RBI for the Green and Gold

-  Sophomore Madison Solt (Salem, NH) suffered the setback for Fitchburg State, yielding seven runs on 11 hits and two strikeouts over 4.1 innings pitched

-  For the Owls, Alfonso finished 1-for-2 with a double and three RBI

- Bingham chipped in with two hits, including a double, one run scored and two RBI

-  Scoville collected the win for Westfield State, pitch four innings of perfect relief with four K's

UP NEXT:

- Fitchburg State returns to action on Thursday as they travel to Keene State to take on the Owls for a non-conference double header, starting at 3:00PM.

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