Roger Williams Sweeps Fitchburg State In Twinbill

Falcons downed 9-1 in game one; edged 9-7 in nightcap

BRISTOL, R.I. (March 26, 2009) - The Fitchburg State softball team inherited a pair of setbacks as Roger Williams University swept a Thursday afternoon twinbill from the Falcons. The Hawks took game one 9-1, before posting a 9-7 victory in the nightcap.

Roger Williams 9, Fitchburg State 1

ASHLEY MCKINNON

Freshman Ashley McKinnon (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) led the Fitchburg State game-one offense, finishing a team-best 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Classmate Kelly Cummings (Natick, Mass./Natick) and sophomore Lauren Donell (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) were also solid, chipping in with one hit a piece.

Roger Williams junior Michelle Caprice (Oak Ridge, N.J./Pope John XXIII) led all hitters with a game-best 4-for-4 performance and two RBI, while senior Renee Bilotti (Bristol, R.I./Mount Hope) added two hits and two RBI.  

The Hawks led most of the game after taking an early 1-0 lead in the first when Caprice scored on a wild pitch. In the second frame, Roger Williams continue its momentum as Caprice knocked home Melissa Sereti (Shrewsbury, Mass.) with an RBI single.

Trailing 3-0, the Falcons broke their scoring silence in the fifth inning as McKinnon roped an RBI single to drive home senior Heather Bachinski (Northfield, Mass./Pioneer Valley). The Hawks got the run right back in the bottom half of the inning as Samantha Teves (Somerset, Mass./Somerset) blasted an RBI single. The Hawks kept the offense going in the fifth inning, scoring five runs in the frame to take the shortened game.

Freshman right-hander Jaclyn Doolin (Miller Place, N.Y.) earned the victory for Roger Williams, allowing only one run in the complete game effort. Freshman Allison Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) took the loss for the Falcons, allowing three runs in four innings of work.

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Roger Williams 9, Fitchburg State 7 

ERYNE COTTER

In the nightcap, Roger Williams held on to defeat Fitchburg State 9-7 as the two teams erupted for 16 runs all in the first four innings.

McKinnon was solid again for the Falcons, finishing 2-for-4, with a double and one RBI, while senior Eryne Cotter (N. Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) added three hits and one run batted in. Junior Leigh Trzcinski (Worcester, Mass./South) and Donell chipped in with two hits and one RBI each.

Teves led the Hawks second game offense, going 2-for-4 with a game-high four RBI, while classmates Hannah Pirez (Bolton, Mass./Nashoba Regional) and Erica Castro (Medford, N.Y./Bellport) finished with two hits apiece. 

Roger Williams jumped out to an early lead, putting up six runs in the first inning, but Fitchburg State answered right back in the top of the second with three runs to cut the Hawks' lead in half. McKinnon led the Falcons charge with a two-RBI double, while Cotter belted a two-bagger to drive in one.

The Hawks responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs as Teves collected her second two-RBI hit of the day to give Roger Williams a 9-3 advantage. The Falcons continued to fight, putting up four runs in the fourth inning to make it a two-run game, but the rally ended there, as Roger Williams held the Falcons to only two hits over the final three innings.

Junior right-hander Alexandra Sera (Newton, Mass./Newton North) earned the victory and improved to 1-3 in relief, while sophomore Bethany Stone (Wells, Maine/Wells) took the loss for Fitchburg State (2-5).

Fitchburg State (3-11, 0-0 MASCAC) will be in action again Saturday as it travels to Westfield State at 12 p.m. Roger Williams (10-4, 2-0 TCCC) returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Western New England at 1 p.m.

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