WPI Runs Past Fitchburg State, 7-3/6-2

Engineers take game one, 7-3; earn 6-2 win in game two

FITCHBURG, Mass. (March 20, 2012) –The Fitchburg State softball team fell twice in non-conference action this afternoon, dropping game one 7-3 and game two 6-2 at Coolidge Park.

WPI 7, Fitchburg State 3 (Game 1)

In the opener, WPI received a solid effort from Lauren Difelice (Acushnet, Mass./Bishop Stang) who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI as the Engineers smashed 11 hits en route to a 7-3 victory.

Difelice was joined by Nicole McDonough (Abington, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) who was also hot for WPI,  hitting 2-4 with a homerun and two RBI, while Katie Bumila (Raynham, Mass./Coyle Cassidy) added a pair of hits, a run scored and one RBI..

Sophomore Shannon Fitzgerald (Blackstone, Mass./Blackstone Regional) finished 1-for-3 for the Falcons, posting a double and two RBI, while newcomer Ashley Forgues (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) chipped in with an RBI in the fifth inning.

WPI on the board early with a home run in the second inning off the bat of Difelice and later increased its lead to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Fitchburg State answered with three runs in the bottom of frame, receiving a two-run double from Fitzgerald, but WPI closed the contest with four runs over the final two innings to earn the game one victory.

Falcon starter Brittany Whiting (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) tallied a season-best seven strikeouts, but took the loss for Fitchburg State, yielding seven runs and 11 hits over her complete game effort. Allie Hardy (West Townsend, Mass./Leominster) posted the win for WPI, also pitching a complete game, giving up three run on seven hits.

WPI 6, Fitchburg State 2 (Game 2)

In the second half of a double header, WPI connected for a five run second inning posting ten hits throughout the game to claim a 6-2 victory.

Difelice continued to lead the Engineers, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, while freshman Katie Bumila (Raynham, Mass./Coyle and Cassidy) added a double, hitting 2-4 on the afternoon. Sophomore Victoria Brinkley (Durham, Conn./Guilford) collected the lone hit for Fitchburg State.

WPI busted loose for four hits and five runs in the second inning to open an early five run advantage (5-0). Roche provided a big blow for the Engineers, connecting for a two-run single while Juliana Fekete (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonskee) added a run scoring single to right field cap the rally.

The Engineers added a single run in the top of the third with an RBI double from Difelice, but Fitchburg State ended its scoring silence in the bottom half, as Brinkley singled through the middle to plate Ashley Forgues (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg). Sophomore Megan Breault (Palmer, Mass./Palmer) added another Falcon run as she crossed home on a passed ball.

On the mound, senior Allison Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) suffered the loss for Fitchburg state, going 1.1 IP with five runs and five hits allowed. Whiting closed out the game yielding just one run over 5.2 innings of work. Erin Flaherty (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) collected her second win of the season for WPI, pitching a complete game, one-hitter.

The Fitchburg State softball team (1-9, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action this Thursday at it faces Curry College in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. WPI (8-4, 0-0 NEWMAC) will travel to Brandeis on Friday at 3 p.m.