Softball Falls Twice at Lesley
Cambridge, Mass. – Lesley University picked up a pair of wins over Framingham State University today in non-conference softball action, coming from behind to beat the Rams 8-7 in the opener before taking the nightcap 6-0 at Buckingham Field.
A leadoff walk and wild pitch cost Lynx starter Cassandra Knox (Sea Cliff, NY) in the first inning of the opener, as Kim Danish (Milford, Mass.) scored from third on a Christy Ulak (Rehoboth, Mass.) infield single to put the Rams up 1-0.
Two Lynx errors on an Alyssa Shea (Lakeville, Mass.) single allowed two runs to score in the Rams three-run second, but Lesley got three back on Ashley Cunningham's (Mountain Top, PA) three run blast an inning later. Molly Sarson (Sanford, ME) followed Cunningham's shot with a walk and pinch-runner Rian Powers stole second and scored when the throw to second sailed into centerfield, tying the game 4-4 after three.
The comeback would not last as the Rams answered with three of their own in the fourth. Danish and sophomore Kendra Fisher (Abington, MA) knocked back-to-back RBI singles, with Kasey Phipps (Westford, Mass.) scoring on an error on Fisher's single, putting Framingham ahead 7-4.
The Rams lead held until the seventh. Maria Nazzaro (North Reading, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk, and Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.) followed with a single. Jennifer Dorval's (Franklin, NH) pinch-hit single scored Nazzaro, leaving two runners on for Gabrielle Brixey (Coalinga, CA).
The Lynx left fielder dropped a bunt down the third base line, and the throw sailed all the way up the right field line. Mangiaratti scored from second and, running for Dorval, Guevara came around to score all the way from first, tying the game 7-7 with the winning run on third.
A pair of intentional walks loaded the bags for Sarson, who lined a single to center plating the winning run. Knox picked up the win for the Lynx allowing 11 hits that led to seven runs, only one of which was earned thanks to five Lynx errors.
Sophomore Adriana Faria (Acton, Mass.) took the loss, surrendering seven hits and eight runs, only four earned, while striking out a season-high 10.
Sarson went 2-for-2 with a walk and the game-winning RBI, Guevara scored twice and Cunningham drove in three.
For the Rams, Ulak went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Shea went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Sarson singled home Mangiaratti to put the Lynx out to an early 1-0 advantage in Game 2. Nazzaro then ignited a three-run second with a two-run triple to the gap in right, and Cunningham made it 4-0 an inning later with an RBI double to the wall in left.
The Lynx made it five straight innings on the day with at least one run in the fourth, when Sarson again drove in Mangiaratti from third to make it a 6-0 game, which was easily enough insurance for Dorval.
The freshman right-hander retired the first 11 Rams before allowing a base runner and took a no-hitter into the fifth before allowing what would be Framingham's only hit, a double to freshman Kate Corriveault (Blackstone, Mass.). Dorval pitched out of a two-on, no-out, fifth inning jam, earning her second shutout of the season in a nine-strikeout, one-hit gem, as the game was called due to snowfall after five innings.
Mangiaratti went 2-for-3 with two steals and two runs scored, and Sarson went 2-for-3 with two driven in as the Lynx improved to 6-4.
Lesley returns to action with a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Southern Vermont on Saturday, while Framingham State plays two at Bridgewater State on Saturday at noon.
Release courtesy of Lesley Sports Information.