Fitchburg State Falls Twice In Season-Opener

Falcons drop to Fredonia State, 13-1; suffer 7-4 setback to Rutgers-Newark

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12, 2012) – The Fitchburg State softball team opened its 2012 season this afternoon falling to both Fredonia State (13-1) and Rutgers-Newark (7-4) at the National Training Center Complex in Clermont, Florida.

Fredonia State 13, Fitchburg State 1 (Game 1)

Fredonia State collected 17 hits and erupted for eight runs in the top of the fifth to cruise to a 13-1 game one victory.

Katie Bartkowiak (Fredonia) led the Blue Devils, going 4-for-4 for three RBI while Hannah Veneske (Hamburg) had three hits and four RBI to support the three-hit pitching of Danielle Shelp (Pittsford).

The Blue Devils busted open the contest in the fifth inning, posting eight runs on nine hits before the game was called due to the mercy rule after a 1-2-3 fifth inning from Shelp. The Falcons received strong efforts from their newcomers Ashley Forgues (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg), Victoria Brinkley (Durham, Conn./Guilford) and Amanda Whitelaw (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Catholic), who all registered their first collegiate hit as a Falcon.

Freshman Brittany Whiting (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) suffered the loss for the Falcons, yielding 13 runs (12 earned) with 17 hits allowed over five innings pitched.

Rutgers-Newark 7, Fitchburg State 4 (Game 1)

In the second contest of the day, Fitchburg State connected for four runs and seven hits, but a two-run sixth inning by Rutgers Newark lifted the Scarlet Raiders to a 7-4 victory.

Sophomore Gabby Spinella went three for four with four RBIs to lead the Raiders offense, while Forgues finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles for the Falcons. Freshman Kayla Philbrick (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee) was also solid for Fitchburg State, finishing 2-for-2 with two singles, while Whitelaw, sophomores Megan Breault (Palmer, Mass./Palmer), Shannon Fitzgerald (Blackstone, Mass./Blackstone Regional) and junior Lauren Weitz (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) added one hit apiece.

Senior Allison Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) hurled the complete game for the Falcons, allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits, while striking out a pair and only walking two.

Fitchburg State (0-2, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow as it battles Franciscan College at 3 p.m. and Manhantanville College at 7 p.m.