Falcons And Colonels Split Non-Conference Twin Bill

Falcons take game one, 9-1; Suffer 8-4 setback in nightcap 

Fitchburg, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University softball team split a non-conference double header with the Colonels of Curry College this afternoon from the Donna Lee WIthington Memorial Softball Field as the Falcons took game one 9-1 before dropping the nightcap 8-4.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 9, Curry 1 (Five Inn) (Game One)

Score: Fitchburg State 4, Curry 8 (Eight Inn) (Game Two)

Records: Fitchburg State (13-7) I Curry (10-11)

How It Happened

Game One

Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as junior McKenzie Lambert (Wilbraham, Mass.) doubled home senior Melissa DiPhilippo (Norfork, Mass.), while freshman Olivia Pietersen (Norton, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to bring home Lambert for the 2-0 advantage.

The Falcons extended their margin (7-0) in the bottom half of the second when Lambert laced a two-run double to left that plated DiPhilippo and senior Michelle LeBlanc (Ashburnham, Mass.) before senior Nicole Sylvester (Everett, Mass.) doubled to left that scored Lambert.

The Green and Gold pushed across two more runs in the sixth as freshman Audrey Johnson (Fitchburg, Mass.) connected on a run scoring single, while junior Mikayla Harnois (Attleboro, Mass.) singled home Pietersen to make the score 9-0. Curry would break up the shutout in the top of the seventh though with sophomore Kiana Lloyd (Worcester, Mass.) notching an RBI single to bring freshman Alexis Buckner (Foxborough, Mass.), resulting in the 9-1 final.

Game Two

Fitchburg State opened up a 3-0 margin in the bottom of the first when Pietersen and newcomer Hayley O'Brien (North Reading, Mass.) registered RBI's in the frame, but Curry battled back to take a 4-3 edge in the top of the fifth as Newcomb single down the left field line, while Buckner and freshman Sienna Kulpa (Taunton, Mass.) followed with RBI knocks.

The Falcons knotted the contest at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth as LeBlanc singled up the middle to bring home senior Maddie Medina (Pelham, N.H.). With the score tied at 4-4, the Colonels regained the lead for good in the top of the eighth with junior Michaela Colleran (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) ripping a two-run single up the middle that plated junior Molly Horn (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) and sophomore Jocelyn Diamond (Weare N.H.), while Newcomb and Buckner added RBI's in the stanza, resulting in the 8-4, game two final.

Fitchburg State secured the sweep in the fifth with Forcier ripping an RBI triple to center that plated Johnson before Forcier crossed the plate following a throwing miscue, resulting in the 9-0, game two final.

Inside the Numbers

• 25th meeting between the two teams in softball with the Falcons 8-17 vs the Colonels
• Lambert led the way for the Falcons in game one, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI
• Lloyd finished 1-for-2 with an RBI for the Colonels
• Harnois picked up the win for Fitchburg State, allowing one run on three hits with four K's in the complete game effort
• Taylor Newcomb (Millville, Mass.) took the loss for Curry, giving up nine runs (7 earned) on 13 hits and one strikeout in four innings of work
• Pietersen went 3-for-4 with a double one run scored and an RBI for the Falcons
• Buckner paced the Colonels in game two, finishing 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI
• Emma Campbell (Goffstown, N.H.) suffered the setback for Fitchburg State, yielding six runs (2 earned) on eight hits with two K's in 3.2 innings of relief
• Carrigan Costello (Wolcott, Conn.) collected the win for Curry, giving up four runs (3 earned) on 11 hits with five strikeout in the complete game effort

Up Next

Falcons will host the Panthers of Plymouth State tomorrow for a non-conference twin billing, starting at 3:30 PM. Colonels will travel to Gordon College on Friday for a CCC double headers at 2:30 PM.