Falcons Earn Split With Rams On Senior Day

Johnson launches second collegiate homerun in game one 

Framingham, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University softball team split a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference  (MASCAC) double header with Framingham State this afternoon at the Maple Street Field as the Falcons took the opener, 4-2 before dropping the night cap, 15-2.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 4, Framingham State 2 (Game One)

Score: Fitchburg State 2, Framingham State 15 (Five Inn) (Game Two)

Records: Fitchburg State (24-14, 8-6 MASCAC) I Framingham State (20-18,12-2 MASCAC)

How It Happened

Game One

Fitchburg State took a 2-0 edge in the bottom of the third as junior Mikayla Harnois (Attleboro, Mass.) collected a two-run double to score seniors Michelle LeBlanc (Ashburnham, Mass.) and Maddie Medina (Pelham, N.H.).

The Falcons doubled their lead (4-0) in the bottom of the sixth when newcomer Audrey Johnson (Fitchburg, Mass.) blasted her second collegiate home run that scored fellow freshman Morgan Cormier (Leominster, Mass.).

Framingham State responded in the top of the seventh with junior Kirsten Dick (Tewksbury, Mass.) doubling in sophomore Victoria Ziner (Easton, Mass.), while Dick would eventually cross the plate on a wild pitch, resulting in the 4-2, game one final.

Game Two

Framingham State grabbed a 5-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run double from sophomore Grace Caughey (Mendon, Mass.), while senior Lauren Salisbury (Cranston, R.I.) and freshman Laela Pepin (Acushnet, Mass.) added RBI base hits.

Fitchburg State responded in their half of the first when Johnson doubled to plate junior McKenzie Lambert (Wilbraham, Mass.) to cut the lead to 5-1. The Rams upped its margin in the fifth (15-1), highlighted by a Moody grand slam before the Falcons capped the scoring in the bottom of the fifth as Medina came home on a fielding miscue, resulting in the 15-2 final.

Following the contest, the Fitchburg State softball team honored seven seniors playing in their final regular season contest with the seniors being #2 Melissa DiPhilippo (Norfolk, Mass.), #5 Samantha Woodman (Essex, Mass.), #8 Nicole Sylvester (Everett, Mass.), #11 Maddie Medina (Pelham, N.H.), 16 Michelle LeBlanc (Ashburnham, Mass.), #17 Michaela Keenan (Boston, Mass.) and #22 Hayley McCarthy (Lawrence, Mass.).

Inside the Numbers

• 79th meeting between the two teams in softball with the Falcons 43-36 vs the Rams
• Johnson led the way for the Falcons, going 1-for-3 with a home run, one run scored and two RBI
• Dick finished 1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and one RBI
• Taylor Colvin (Lancaster, Mass.) collected the win for Fitchburg State, yielding two runs on seven hits and four K's in the complete game effort
• Kelsi Gunarathne (North Providence, R.I.) took the loss for Framingham State, allowing four runs on three hits with 14 strikeouts over six innings pitched
• Johnson hit 1-for-2 with a double and one RBI for Fitchburg State
• Moody went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, two runs scored and four RBI for Framingham State
• Hayley O'Brien (Lynnfield, Mass.) gave up two runs on two hits with two K's in two innings of relief for the Falcons
• Caughey picked up the win for the Rams, allowing two runs (1 earned) on four hits and eight strikeouts over five innings of work

Up Next

Falcons conclude their regular season this afternoon and await its seeding in the upcoming MASCAC Softball post-season tournament. Rams also concluded their regular season today and also await its seeding into the MASCAC Softball post-season tournament