Softball Drops Pair on Day One

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Fitchburg State University softball team dropped a pair of games on  opening day of their 2017 Florida Spring Trip this morning, falling 8-4 in seven innings to Bates College in the opening contest before dropping a 5-4 decision to the Golden Bears of Western New England in game two.

Bates 8, Fitchburg State 4 (Game 1)

In game one, Bated collected eight runs on nine hits en-route to an 8-4 win over Fitchburg State University at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.

Bates opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when junior Tori Fitzgerald knocked in teammate Mimi Crowley with a sacrifice fly to right field for the 1-0 margin.

The Bobcats' (4-3) upped its advantage in the top of the fifth, plating four runs on two hits as freshman Julia Treadwell delivered a key 3-run home run over the left centerfield fence for a 6-0 lead.

The Green and Gold foiled the shutout bid with a single run in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Michelle LeBlanc opened the frame with a triple down the right field line and crossed the plate when pinch-hitter Tori Cyrus tagged a RBI single to left field.

Trailing 8-1 in the bottom of the seventh the Falcons would notch three runs. With two down Cyrus drilled a single to left field for her second hit of the day, then sophomore Mikayla Harnois reached with a single to center field. Next senior Jessalynne Brown poked an RBI double to right field scoring Cyrus. Harnois and Brown would score on a double off the bat of junior Emily Comtois for the 8-4 final.

Fitchburg State was led by Cryus who went 2-for-2 off the bench, while Comtois delivered two RBI's.

In the circle, sophomore Kaylee Sylvestre took the loss for the Falcons, allowing two runs on four hits and four strikeouts in three innings of work.

Western New England 5, Fitchburg State 4 (Game 2)

In the nightcap, Western New England scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the walk-off 5-4 victory over Fitchburg State in the second game on the afternoon at the NTC Springs Games in Clermont, Florida.

For Fitchburg State sophomore Haley McCarthy went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while classmate Damari Grossi collected two hits at the plate.

On the mound, senior Galen Kerr took the loss for the Falcons, yielding five runs on eleven hits and four  K's in the complete game effort.

Fitchburg State raced out to a 3-0 lead after four innings of play. Michelle LeBlanc delivered Haley McCarthy home with a RBI double to right center in the top half of the second inning. The Falcons increased  the lead in the fourth with a run scored off a balk called on the WNE pitcher and a based loaded walk drawn by sophomore Maddie Medina with two outs.

The Golden Bears chipped at the score in the home half of the fifth inning. Lindsay Williams and Gabby Lavinio supplied WNE with RBI's to make the margin 3-2 Fitchburg State after five complete.

The Falcons would add a run in the top of the seventh with a set delayed steal play scoring Grossi, who had singled to open the inning and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Medina and a single from Cyrus.

However, the Golden Bears would plate three runs in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Training 4-3 Paige Uliase connected on a single to left center that scored two for the walk-off win.

Fitchburg State (0-2, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow as it takes on Lasell College at 1:00 PM and Norwich University at 3:#0 PM on day two its Florida Spring Trip.