Falcons Drop Pair Of Non-Conference Games To Hawks

DiPhilippo launches first collegiate home run in game one

Leicester, Mass. – The Fitchburg State softball team dropped a pair of contests to the Hawks of Becker College, 8-3/11-7 in non-conference action this afternoon from Russell Field.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 3, Becker 8 (Game One)

Score: Fitchburg State 7, Becker 11 (Five Inn) (Game Two)

Records: Fitchburg State (10-6) I Becker (5-9)

How It Happened

Game One

Fitchburg State grabbed a 2-0 margin in the top of the first as senior Melissa DiPhilippo (Norfork, Mass.) connected on her first collegiate home run, while freshman Audrey Johnson (Fitchburg, Mass.) added a sacrifice fly that plated junior McKenzie Lambert (Wilbraham, Mass.).

Becker answered back in the bottom of the third when freshman Emily Iacovelli (Northbridge, Mass.) blasted a three-run homer to left field for the 3-2 edge. The Hawks upped their lead in the bottom of the third (7-2) on home runs from freshman Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn.) and Iacovelli.

Trailing 8-2 in the top of the seventh, the Falcons pushed across another run with freshman Olivia Pietersen (Norton, Mass.) bringing in Lambert with a sacrifice fly to right field, resulting in the 8-3, game one final.

Game Two

Becker raced out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first on RBI base hits from sophomore Sarah Ellis (Berkley, Mass.), senior Kelsey Weston (Hampstead, N.H.) and senior Samantha Belenchia (Ansonia, Conn.

The Hawks extended their advantage (6-0) in the bottom of the second as Weston, Ellis and senior Vasia Murphy (Dracut, Mass.) notched RBI singles, but Fitchburg State responded in the top of the third when senior Michelle LeBlanc (Ashburnham, Mass.) scored on a throwing miscue, while Lambert and newcomer Lundyn Forcier (Woonsocket, R.I.) registered RBI knocks to make the score 6-4.

The Green and Gold continued to chip away at the deficit in the top of the fourth with DiPhilippo ripping an RBI double to left, while Lambert followed with a run scoring triple to right field to cut the lead to 8-7.

Becker would secure the victory however as Murphy and Weston registered run scoring base hits in the bottom of the fifth, resulting in the 11-7 final.

Inside the Numbers

• Eighth meeting between the two teams in softball with the Falcons 6-2 vs the Hawks
• DiPhilippo led the way for the Falcons, game one offense with a home run, one run scored and an RBI
• Iacovelli finished 2-for-2 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored and six RBI for the Hawks
• Mikayla Harnois (Attleboro, Mass.) took the loss for Fitchburg State, allowing four runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work
• Veillette picked up the win for Becker, giving up three runs on six hits with three K's in the complete game effort
• Sylvester led the way for the Falcons in the night cap, hitting 2-for-2 with a homerun, one run scored and four RBI
• Papadopoulos finished 1-for-2 with RBI for the Pride in game two
• Emma Campbell (Goffstown, N.H.) suffered the game two setback for Fitchburg State, yielding six runs (2 earned) on four hits with one K in one inning of work
• Belenchia collected the win for Becker, allowing seven runs on nine hits with one strikeout in 3.2 innings pitched

Up Next

Falcons will travel to Mass. Maritime Academy on Saturday to take on the Buccaneers for a MASCAC twin bill, starting at 12:00 PM. Hawks will visit Lesley University on the same day for an NECC double header at Brandeis University with a 12:00 PM start time.