Fitchburg State Drops a Pair to Westfield State

Falcons fall 15-0 in game one; drop nightcap, 6-1

FITCHBURG, Mass. (April 2, 2010) - The Fitchburg State softball team dropped a pair of games to Westfield State in MASCAC action this afternoon. The Falcons dropped game one 15-0 before falling 6-1 in the nightcap.

Westfield State 15, Fitchburg State 0

In game one, Westfield State pounded out 15 runs on 14 hits to earn its first conference victory of the season. The Owls were led by senior Kim Brennan (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, while sophomore Kerin DeGirolamo (N. Attleboro, Mass./Feehan), classmate Brianna Isaacs (Yarmouthport, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) and junior Alicia Gardner (Athol, Mass/Athol) each collected a pair of hits and two RBI.

Senior Leigh Trzcinski (Worcester, Mass./South) led the Fitchburg State offense, hitting 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, while sophomore Ashley McKinnon (Raynham, Mass/Bridgewater-Raynham) and freshman Meghan Jenkins (Dedham, Mass/Dedham) added one hit apiece.

Westfield State jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back as DeGirolamo led off the frame with single and scored the Owls first run.  Westfield added to its lead over the next two innings, plating five runs in the second and six runs in the third for a commanding 12-0 margin.

Gardner and Danielle Lutenegger (Sunderland, Mass./Frontier Regional) highlighted the Owls scoring barrage with a pair of RBI triples, while Brennan added a two-run double. Westfield State rounded out its scoring in the top half of the fifth, plating a pair of runs for the final 15-0 score.

Sophomore Allison Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) suffered the loss for the Falcons (1-2), allowing 12 runs (seven earned) on 12 hits over 2.1 innings of work. Senior Bethany Stone (Wells, Maine/Wells) pitched the final 2.2 innings in relief, yielding three runs  on two hits and one strikeout. Westfield hurler Ashtyn Welcome (Northfield, Mass/Pioneer Valley) earned the victory (2-2), tossing a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts.

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Westfield State 6, Fitchburg State 1

In game two, Westfield State continued its offensive streak, totaling 15 hits and six runs for its ninth victory of the season. Senior Gia Calabrese (W. Springfield, Mass./W. Springfield) led the Owls attack with a 2-for-3 performance, including a grand slam, while junior Kristyn Carroll (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) and Gardner chipped in with three hits apiece.

Freshman Jill Moses (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) paced the Fitchburg State offense with a one-run triple, while junior Nicole Monroe (Townsend, Mass./N. Middlesex) threw a complete game in the circle for the Falcons.

Again, Westfield State grabbed an early lead, posting single runs over the first two innings for a 2-0 advantage. Brennan sparked the Owls lead with a RBI single in the first while Westfield State grabbed a 2-0 lead on a Falcon passed ball in the second.

The Owls opened their lead to 6-0 throughout the top half of the third as Calabrese laced an inside the park grand slam to plate four runs. Fitchburg State broke up sophomore Madeline Tomich’s (Alford, Mass/Mt. Everett) shutout and no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh frame as Moses connected on a RBI triple, but the Owls ended any chance of a Falcon rally.

Tomich (6-0) earned the victory in the circle for Westfield State, tossing a complete game one-hitter with 11 K’s. Monroe took the loss for the Falcons, allowing six runs on 15 hits and seven strikeouts.

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Fitchburg State (1-11, 0-2 MASCAC) returns to action on Tuesday as it host Fisher College at 3 p.m. Westfield State (9-4, 2-0 MASCAC) will host Amherst College on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.