Fitchburg State Shuts Down Nichols, 3-0/7-0

Alcott set single game strikeouts record with 15 K's in game two

FITCHBURG, Mass. (April 24, 2014) – The Fitchburg State softball team registered a pair of wins in non-conference action this afternoon at Coolidge Park, The Falcons took game one, 3-0 before collecting a 7-0 victory in the nightcap to complete the sweep.

Fitchburg State 3, Nichols 0 (Game 1)

In game one, Fitchburg State posted three runs on nine hits en-route to the 3-0 victory. Junior Marissa Binnall (Fitchburg, Mass.) led the Falcons offensively, going 2-for-3 with one run scored, while freshmen Jessalynne Brown (Malden, Mass.) and Courtney Borysewicz (Quaker Hill, Conn.) combined for four hits and one RBI.

Senior Emalee Watkins (Malden, Mass.) finished 3-for-4 at the dish to lead the way for the Bison, while junior Rachel Dalymple (Belvidere, R.I.), sophomore Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.) and newcomer Christina Drake (Lebanon, Conn.) registered one hit apiece for Nichols.

Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the bottom of the third frame as junior Colleen Flaherty (Stoughton, Mass.) led off the inning with a single to left center, moved to third on a base hit from Binnall and crossed the plate on run scoring single off the bat of sophomore Marissa Gemma (Leominster, Mass.) before Brown plated Binnall with a single through the left side for the 2-0 advantage.

The Falcons upped its margin (3-0) in the following stanza when junior Katelyn Fitzgerald (Fitchburg, Mass.) blasted a double into the right centerfield gap, advanced to third on wild pitch and scored on a groundout to shortstop by freshman Corin Swarbrick (Lawrence, Mass.), resulting in the 3-0 final

In the circle, newcomer Terri Ferrazzani (N. Reading, Mass.) improved to 4-2 on the season, allowing six hits, two walks and seven strikeouts in the complete game effort for Fitchburg State, while Fountain took the loss, giving up three runs on nine hits with four K's in six innings of work of the Bison.

Fitchburg State 7, Nichols 0 (Game 2)

In the nightcap, senior pitcher Kerry Alcott (Groton, Mass.) lifted the Falcons to a 7-0 game two victory, allowing just three with 15 K's in seven innings of work, while setting the programs single game strikeouts record in the process, surpassing the previous mark of 14 set by former Fitchburg State standout hurler Michelle Bergeron in 2002.

Fitchburg State took the lead in the first inning when Forgues reached on a fielding miscue, moved to second on single up the middle from Binnall before Borysewicz laced a double to left field to drive in Forgues and Binnall for the 2-0 margin.

The Green and Gold secure the victory in the bottom of the fifth frame, plating four runs in the stanza, highlighted by a run scoring base hit by junior Sabrina Schwartz (Ayer, Mass.) and a two-run double off the bat off sophomore Brianna Uga (Everett, Mass.), resulting in the 7-0 final.

Borysewicz sparked the Falcons game two attack, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, triple, one run scored and two runs batted in, while Schwartz added to the mix with a pair of singles and one RBI. For Nichols, Watkins, Drake and junior Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) each notched one hit.

Fitchburg State (13-15, 5-7 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as it visits the Owls of Westfield State for a double header starting at 12 p.m. Nichols  (12-20, 7-11 TCCC) will travel to Roger Williams University on Saturday for a contest starting at 1 p.m.