Softball Takes Game Two 5-3 in Split with Nichols

Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University softball team took game two of a non-conference doubleheader 5-3 over Nichols College this afternoon to salvage a split after falling to the Bison 3-0 in the opener at Maple Street Field. 

With the split, the Rams are now 17-7 on the season, while the Bison move to 10-10.

The Bison took the opener behind a solid pitching performance from freshman Alexis Ferris (Holyoke, Mass.).  Ferris went six innings and allowed just two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts as she improved her season mark to 8-3.  Junior Kendall Meehan (Danvers, Mass.) recorded her first save of the season tossing an inning of scoreless relief.

The Bison tallied a single run in the top of the third on a  bases loaded infield single by sophomore Jessica Kueling (Gales Ferry, Conn.). 

The run was the only run of the game until Nichols added two runs on RBI single from Hayley Novia (Leicester, Mass.) and Callie Andrews (Southbridge, Mass.) in the top of the sixth.

Sophomore Kelsi Gunarathne (North Providence, RI) took the loss for the Rams despite tossing five and a third solid innings. Gunarathne allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits with six strikeouts.

Freshman Mycala Moody (North Attleboro, Mass.), sophomore Kayla Finacchiaro (Natick, Mass.) and junior Megan Downing (Hanson, Mass.) paced the Rams offense with a hit apiece in the opener.

Nichols got on the board first in game two with a pair of runs in the top of the third.  Senior Christina Drake (Brooklyn, Conn.) singled with runners on second and third to score a run and Kueling followed with an RBI single to center.

Framingham State tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Junior Dayna Marchant (East Bridgewater, Mass.) reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch and Finacchiaro plated a run with a single to center.

The Rams grabbed their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a three run homerun to deep left by junior Anna Dziok (Southampton, Mass.).

The Bison answered with a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI basehit from Jade Palladino (Lynnfield, Mass.), but that was as close as Nichols would get as the Bison were retired in order in the seventh.

Junior Jessica Pietersen (Norton, Mass.) earned the win in the circle for the Rams going seven innings and allowing three earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.  Meghan Sears (Tewksbury, Mass.) took the loss for the Bison going six innings and allowing five runs, three earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts.

The Rams are back in action on Friday when they travel to Westfield State for a pair of MASCAC games beginning at 1 p.m., while Nichols travels to Western New England on Wednesday at 3 p.m.