Fitchburg State Splits Two With MCLA
Fitchburg State Splits Two With MCLA
Trzcinski becomes program’s all-time triples leader with 15th career three-bagger
FITCHBURG, Mass. (April 18, 2010) - The Fitchburg State softball team battled to earn a 1-1 MASCAC split with MCLA this afternoon, falling 15-1 in game one and bouncing back to post a 11-6 victory in game two.
MCLA 15, Fitchburg State 1 (5 Innings)
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In the first contest, MCLA belted out a 16-hit attack and posted 15 runs to collect their 11th victory of the season. Junior Kate Ouellette (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) led the Trailblazers, hitting 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored and a game-high seven RBI. Freshman Megan Boyer (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury) was also strong with a 3-for-3 day and four RBI, while sophomore Hadley Ameen (N. Adams, Mass./Drury) finished with three hits.
On the Falcons side, senior Leigh Trzcinski (Worcester, Mass./South) tallied a 2-for-3 effort with a pair of singles, while sophomore Ashley McKinnon (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) also turned in a multi-hit effort with two singles and a run scored.
MCLA wasted no time getting on the board as Ameen gave the Trailblazers an early 1-0 lift with a RBI single in the first. Fitchburg State knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning on sophomore Kelly Cummings’ (Natick, Mass./Natick) base hit, but MCLA quickly put the game at bay with four runs in the third and eight runs in the fifth. Ouelllette ignited the MCLA four run third inning with her first homerun of the contest, before capping the Trailblazers six hit, eight run fifth with a grand slam.
In the circle, Ameen earned the victory for MCLA, improving to 8-7 on the season. The veteran hurler, allowed only one run on five hits, while striking out four. Sophomore Alli Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) took the loss for the Falcons, surrendering seven runs (six earned) and ten hits, while fanning one.
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Fitchburg State 11, MCLA 6
In game two, Fitchburg State fed off a recording break performance as the Falcons mustered 11 runs on ten hits to earn the two game split.
NICOLE MONROE |
Trzcinski spearheaded the Fitchburg State offense, hitting 2-for-4 with a triple, one run scored and one RBI. With her three-bagger, Trzcinski became the program’s all-time leader in triples, surpassing the mark by Keri Kravetz from the class of 2007. She currently remains only eight hits shy of tying Fitchburg State’s all-time record of 146 set by Kravetz and Alyssa Freda.
Junior Meghan Jenkins (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) was also strong on the offensive end for Fitchburg State, going 3-for-4 with a trio of singles and two runs scored, while junior Nicole Monroe (Townsend, Mass./N. Middlesex) ended 2-for-3, with a triple, two runs scored and a pair of RBI.
In the nightcap, Fitchburg State grabbed the game’s first lead, touching for two runs in the opening frame for an early 2-0 margin. In the stanza, the Falcons took advantage of a key Trailblazer error to plate a run while Jenkins rallied the Falcons with an RBI bunt single.
The Falcons continued their momentum over the next two innings, posting nine runs for a commanding 11-1 lead. Monroe and Trzcinski sparked Fitchburg State’s three-run, second inning with back-to-back RBI hits, while McKinnon capped the Falcons six run, third frame with a two run triple to center field.
Fitchburg State maintained its lead for the remainder of the contest, despite a valiant effort from the Trailblazer offense. MCLA continued to fight, plating five runs over the next three innings, but the Falcons’ pitching prevailed over the final four frames to seal their first conference victory of the year.
Monroe toed the rubber for the Falcons, earning the victory (4-7) with the complete game effort. The junior transferred allowed only five earned runs and seven hits, while matching a season-high with eight strikeouts. Freshman Sarah Greenwood (Northfield, Mass./Pioneer Valley) took the loss for MCLA (3-8), giving up nine runs (five earned) on six hits and striking out a pair.
Fitchburg State (7-17, 1-5 MASCAC) returns to action tomorrow as it host Bridgewater State at 12 p.m. MCLA (11-15, 3-3 MASCAC) also returns to action tomorrow as it hosts Worcester State at 12 p.m.