Softball Loses a Pair at Lesley
Cambridge, Mass. – Sydney Thayer's (Reading, Mass.) game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the sixth secured a doubleheader sweep for the Lynx over Framingham State University in non-conference action today at Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols Field.
After a 6-5 comeback victory in the opener, Thayer knocked in Angela Mulkai (Amherst, N.H.) when she roped a double to left-center field, giving Lesley a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. With the pair of wins, the Lynx improve to 9-13 on the year, while the Rams drop to 5-15.
Lesley got a pair of solid pitching performances on the day as freshman Jordan Thomas (Fitchburg, Mass.) went the distance and picked up the win in game one while junior Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass.) followed her performance with a complete-game effort of her own, in which she scattered three hits, to pick up her sixth victory of the season.
In game one, the Lynx pushed a run across in the bottom of the first when Mukai singled home senior Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.) to take an early 1-0 lead. The lead wouldn't last long as the Rams took advantage of some sloppy Lesley defense and hung four in the top of the second.
Sophomore Tiffany Agostini (Rehoboth, Mass.) and junior Kyle Fortin (Candia, N.H.) started the Rams rally with back-to-back singles to left. FSU would load the bases following a Lesley error and got their first run across when junior Alyssa Begin (Salem, Mass.) drove a single to center, allowing Agostini to score. Senior Taylor Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) followed Begin with a single of her own, knocking in both Fortin and sophomore Shelby Phillips (Taunton, Mass.). The Rams got their fourth run of the inning when Begin would come across following the Lynx second error of the inning.
After adding a run in the bottom of the third, Lesley pulled ahead in the fourth when they had runners on the corners with two outs. Mukai came through again when she singled to center, allowing junior Maria Nazzaro (North Reading, Mass.) to score, along with Allison Fountain (Cheshire, Conn.) who scored after the ball was misplayed in centerfield. Mukai then came across the plate after Mercurio blasted a triple off the left field fence, giving the Lynx a 5-4 lead.
The Rams did not waste any time tying it up at 5-5 when Agostini hit a bases-loaded single, allowing Alex Ferri (Winthrop, Mass.) to cross the plate.
The Lynx reclaimed a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the frame when Nazzaro scored on a Molly Sarson (Sanford, Me.) sacrifice-fly to deep centerfield.
The Rams threatened in the top of the seventh after Helen Falzone (Ashland, Mass.) and Andrea Smith (Milford, Mass.) led off the inning with consecutive singles, but Thomas navigated out of the jam with two pop-outs and a ground out to end the game, earning her second win of the season.
Nazzaro finished game one going 3-3 with two runs scored for the Lynx while Mercurio also had three hits, knocking in two runs. Mukai drove in two, scored a run, and finished going 2-3 with a walk at the plate.
Agostini led the Rams offense, going 3-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Andrea Smith (Milford, Mass.) and Ezold both finished with two hits.
The bats went quiet as Mercurio and Rams senior Yaya Faria (Acton, Mass.) squared off in what turned out to be a pitcher's duel in game two.
Mercurio faced the minimum 15 batters over the first five innings, yielding only one hit in the third to Begin who was doubled-up on the next play. Faria nearly matched Mercurio's effort as she only allowed two Lynx hits over the first four innings.
The Lynx finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning after Danielle McDonald (Lancaster, Pa.) led off the inning with her second single of the day and came around from second when Mangiaratti sent a single of her own through to centerfield.
The Rams would answer right back in the top of the sixth. After Phillips led off the inning with a ground-rule double down the left field line, Mercurio retired the next two FSU batters with a pop-out to third and first, but could not fully escaped the jam as Falzone singled to right allowing the game-tying run to cross the plate.
In the bottom of the inning, Mukai singled to center with one out, and then scored all the way from first on Thayer's double to left-center.
Mercurio retired the Rams in order in the top of the seventh to give the Lynx the sweep and earn her sixth victory of the season. The junior allowed only three hits on the night, walking two, and striking out one.
McDonald was the only player to collect two hits in the game, while she also stole two bases and scored a run.
Faria went the distance for the Rams, allowing six hits, one walk, and struck out two in the effort.
Lesley returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Lasell College for another non-conference doubleheader while Framingham State will host Babson College for a doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30p.
Release courtesy of Lesley Sports Information.