Fitchburg State Soars Past Mass, Maritime, 9-0/11-0

Falcons collect 9-0 victory in game one, register 11-0 win in night cap

FITCHBURG, Mass. (April, 14, 2013) – The Fitchburg State softball team was in action this afternoon earning a season sweep over Mass. Maritime Academy in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at Coolidge Park, The Falcons downed Mass. Maritime, 9-0 in game one before completing the sweep with an 11-0 game two victory.

Fitchburg State 9, Mass Maritime 0 (Game 1)

In the first game of the day, Fitchburg State scored eight runs in the first innings of play, en-route to a 9-0 game one victory to improve to 10-13 on the season, while Mass. Maritime fell to 0-11.

The Fitchburg State offense was led by freshman Tori Cyrus (Everett, Mass./Everett), who finished 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI, while sophomore Amanda Whitelaw (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) aided the offense with a pair of singles, one RBI and a one scored.

Senior Janelle Beaulieu (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Mount St. Charles) and freshman Taylor Winkler (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph Hill) posted one hits apiece to pace the Buccaneers.

The Falcons opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, plating three runs on just one hit. Junior Ashley Forgues (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) started the inning off by reaching on a fielding error before classmate Marissa Binnalll (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Cyrus then blasted a two-run double down the left field line and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Colleen Flaherty (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) for the 3-0 margin.

The Green and Gold upped its lead in the following frame, scoring five times as freshman Marissa Gemma (Leominster, Mass./Leominster), Binnall, Cyrus and Whitelaw all posted RBI base hits in the stanza for the 8-0 lead before junior Allison Page (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) capped the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single to left field resulting in the 9-0 final

On the mound, sophomore Brittany Whiting (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) picked up the victory, allowed just two hits with five strikeout in the complete game effort for the Falcons, while Beaulieu suffered the setback, giving up nine runs (7 earned) on ten hits in four inning of work for Mass. Maritime Academy.

Fitchburg State 11, Mass. Maritime 0 (Game 2)

In the nightcap, Fitchburg State erupted for 11 runs on 14 hits in the 11-0 game two victory to complete the season sweep.

Fitchburg State jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of play as Cyrus drove in Binnall on an RBI ground out before Flaherty singled in White with a single up the middle for the 2-0 advantage.

The Falcons scored three more runs in the following frame when Binnall tripled to right center to plate Gemma before Cyrus lined a run scoring double down the line and later scored on a throwing error to open up a 5-0 lead after two innings of play.

The hosts capped their scoring in the fourth innings, registering six runs on five hits highlighted by RBI singles from Flaherty, junior Katelyn Fitzgerald (Fitchburg, Mass./Saint Bernards) and Cyrus to secure the 11-0 game two victory.

Cyrus continued her hot hitting, hitting 2-for-3 including a double, two RBI and a run scored, while Binnall posted two hits including a triple, two RBI and pair of runs scored. Flaherty added a 2-for-3 performance at the dish with one run scored and a pair of RBI.

For the Buccaneers, Winkler and freshmen Ashley Michalski (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth), Brittany Driscoll (Spencer, Mass./Holy Name) and Cassie Swanson) each collected a hit.

In the circle, junior Kerry Alcott (Groton, Mass./Groton- Dunstable) earned the win, giving up four hits (7 K's) in the complete game effort for Fitchburg State, while Swanson took the loss, yielding 11 ruins on 14 hits in four innings of work for the Buccaneers.