Softball Falls in Extra Innings 6-5 to Brandeis in Opener and Drops Nightcap in Five
Waltham, Mass. – The Framingham State University softball team dropped a pair of game this afternoon to Brandeis University. The Rams were defeated 6-5 in an extra inning thriller in the opener before falling 11-3 in five innings in the nightcap at Marcus Field.
The Rams are now 4-12 on the season after the pair of losses, while the Judges are now 13-8 on the season.
Framingham State took a 1-0 lead in their first at bat of the afternoon. Senior Taylor Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) led off the game with a double to right and came around to score when freshman Jess Anthony (Stoneham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Rams would maintain the 1-0 lead until the fifth inning as senior Yaya Faria (Acton, Mass.) cruised through the first four innings allowing just one hit.
In the fifth the Judges plated a run on an RBI single off the bat of Nikki Cote (Shelton, Conn.) to tie the score.
The Rams responded with a run in the sixth to retake the lead on a solo home run to center by sophomore Shelby Phillips (Taunton, Mass.). Phillips leads the Rams with three homeruns this season. The lead was short-lived as the Judges countered with a run in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at 2-2.
Framingham State took advantage of a pair of Brandeis errors in the seventh to plate three unearned runs. Junior Kyle Fortin (Candia, NH) drove in a pair on an RBI double to right and classmate Andrea Smith (Milford, Mass.) added another on an RBI base hit to left.
The Judges countered once again in the bottom of the frame with three unearned runs as they capitalized on a Framingham fielding miscue. Amanda Genovese (North Haven, Conn.) and Danielle Novotny (Milford, NJ) each drove in runs for the Judges who sent the games to extra innings tied at 5-5.
The Rams could not score in the top half of the eighth, but the Judges pushed across the game winning run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Anya Kamber (Sammamish, Wash.).
Faria was tagged with the loss for the Rams as she went the distance surrendering six runs, one earned, on nine hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Phillips and freshman Helen Falzone (Ashland, Mass.) led the Ram with two hits apiece in the opener while Ezold scored a pair of runs and Fortin drove in two.
In the nightcap, the Rams took the early lead with three runs in the first on an RBI single by Smith and a two RBI hit from sophomore Kelly Naegelin (Scituate, Mass.).
The Judges countered with one in the first, second and fourth to tie the game, before exploding for eight runs in the fifth to take the five inning victory.