Fitchburg State Draws With Worcester State

Falcons collect 10-4 victory in game one; fall 8-6 in the nightcap

WORCESTER, Mass. (April 27, 2010) - The Fitchburg State softball team collected a MASCAC split with Worcester State College this evening, downing the Lancers 10-4 in game one and falling 8-6 in the nightcap.

Fitchburg State 10, Worcester State 4

In the opener, Fitchburg State exploded for nine runs over the last two innings of the game to collect its tenth victory of the season.

Sophomore Kelly Cummings (Natick, Mass./Natick) paced Fitchburg State’s 12-hit attack, hitting 2-for-3 with a homerun, one run scored and two RBI, while classmate Ashley McKinnon (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) added a 2-for-4 performance with a double, two runs scored and two RBI. Freshman Steph Keller (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) was also solid with a pair of hits in the contest, while senior Leigh Trzcinski (Worcester, Mass./South) finished 2-for-4 with a run and one RBI.

With the score knotted at 1-1 through five innings of play, Fitchburg State connected for five hits in a five run sixth to grab a strong 6-1 lead. Junior Lauren Donell (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) sparked the Falcons rally with a two-run single, while Cummings capped the surge with her third homerun of the season.

The Fitchburg State offense was not finished as the Falcons continued to soar with four runs in the top half of the seventh. McKinnon opened the inning with a double to left-center that platted a pair, while Keller capped the scoring with a RBI single to right field.

In the circle, junior Nicole Monroe (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex) earned the victory for the Falcons, tossing a complete game, four-hitter. The veteran slinger allowed only four runs in the contest (one earned), while striking out six and walking three. Junior Michaela Mahoney (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) suffered the loss for the Lancers, yielding 12 hits and ten runs over seven innings of work.

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Worcester State 8, Fitchburg State 6

In the nightcap, Fitchburg State held a slim 6-4 lead after four and a half innings of play, but Worcester State rallied with four runs in the bottom of the fifth frame to collect its eighth conference victory.

Fitchburg State registered another double-digit hit attack as McKinnon finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and one run scored. Junior Megan Jenkins (Dedham< mass./Dedham) was also strong with a two-run single and one RBI, while Donell chipped in with a 1-for-3 game, including a single and two RBI.

After falling behind 4-0 through four innings of play, Fitchburg State continued to score in bunches, posting six runs on five hits and three errors in the fifth. The Falcons opened the frame with four consecutive base-runners and pushed them across as Jenkins and McKinnon each posted two-run singles.

The Lancers answered in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of two Fitchburg State errors to post four runs and clinch the victory. Mahoney picked up the victory in relief for Worcester State, tossing 2.2 innings of shutout work while fanning five. Sophomore Alli Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) suffered the loss for the Falcons, yielding four runs in three innings of relief.

Fitchburg State (10-22, 4-8 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Framingham State at 12 p.m. Worcester State (18-14, 8-4 MASCAC) will host Bridgewater State on Saturday starting at 12 p.m.

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