Softball Opens MASCAC Action With Two Wins

North Adams, Mass. – The Framingham State College softball team defeated the MCLA Trailblazers 8-7 in 11 innings in game and 3-1 in game two of a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) softball doubleheader today in North Adams.  The Rams improve to 5-9 on the season overall and 2-0 in the MASCAC, while the losses drop MCLA to 4-10 overall and 0-2 conference.

Game one was a back and forth affair between the two teams. MCLA was
leading 4-2 after three innings on the strength of a couple of RBI hits by Katie Oullette (Norwood, Mass.) and some good base running in the second by Amanda Borsotti (Lee, Mass.) and Meg Boyer (Clarksburg, Mass.) whose stolen bases put them in scoring position.

Framingham would come back to take a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth on three base hits with the big blow coming off the bat of freshman Taylor Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) who ripped a triple that plated two runs including the go ahead score. 

The Trailblazers tied it in the sixth on an RBI single by Kayla Koumjian (Watervliet, NY) setting the stage for extra innings.

The teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the tenth when MCLA had a chance to end it. Borsotti who was placed on second tried to score on a Boyer single to center, but she was gunned down by Rams centerfielder Megan Dumas (Holden, Mass.). MCLA had two on with one out later in the inning but the Rams defense held strong as they doubled Ashley Kelley (Turner Falls, Mass.) off second base
on a liner to right.

Framingham scored two in the 11th without a hit thanks to two MCLA errors and a wild pitch. Freshman Kendra Fisher (Abington, Mass.) plated a run as she reached on an error and sophomore Christy Ulak (Rehoboth, Mass.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Trailblazers would get one back in the bottom frame, but it was not enough as they fell 8-7.

Junior Andrea DiTerlizzi (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was great in relief in picking up the win in game one, pitching seven innings and giving up just one earned run. Catcher Katie Donavan (Holden, Mass.) had two hits and scored two runs for the Rams, while Ulak also had two hits, drove in the winning run and scored three times.

Hadley Ameen (North Adams, Mass.) went the full eleven innings and was picked up the loss for the Trailblazers.  Jacklyn Candelet (Pittsfield, Mass.) reached base three times and had three runs scored. Boyer also reached base three times for MCLA.

Game two was equally tight as the game was tied at one heading into the seventh. Both teams scored a run in the first and then were held scoreless until the final frame. 

Framingham scored two in the seventh thanks to a couple of big hits and two errors by the MCLA defense.  Sophomore Alyssa Shea (Lakeville, Mass.) and Ezold led off with a single and double respectively and were able to come home on an error and passed ball to give the visitors a lead of 3-1.

In the bottom of the seventh Oullette reached with one out, but the
Trailblazers could not score a run.

Sophomore Alysia Morrissette (Ware, Mass.) picked up the win in game two for the Rams and Ezold had two more hits in game.

Sarah Greenwood (Northfield, Mass.) took the loss in game two for MCLA going the distance and helped her own cause by reaching base three times. Amber Coburn (Colrain, Mass.) had a hit and a walk.

MCLA will next travel to Bay Path on Thursday for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Framingham State travels to UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.