Softball Splits Two with MCLA
Williamstown, Mass. – The Framingham State University softball team dropped the first game Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) 5-2 against MCLA before taking the second game 4-0.
The Trailblazers are now 6-13 on the year and 2-3 in the MASCAC, while Framingham has a record of 8-15 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
Framingham jumped out on Trailblazer pitcher Rachel Quackenbush in the first inning. Freshman Tiffanie Marsh (Tewksbury, Mass.) led off with a single to center and was sacrificed to second. Marsh came around to score on Shelby Phillips (Taunton, Mass.) double to left. The Rams went on to score again in the second inning on a wild pitch.
With the Rams leading 2-0, the Trailblazer bats got hot as they went on to score five runs over the last four innings, three of those coming in the third inning. In the third, Sam Boyle led off with a single and advanced to second on Alex Romano's bunt single. Both Boyle and Romano would come around to score on a misplayed sacrifice bunt by Michaela DiNicola. DiNicola took third on the play and would score on Quackenbush's sacrifice fly.
The Trailblazers scored again in the fourth when Quackenbush would single home Shelbi Clary, who led off with a walk. MCLA scored their fifth and final run of the game when Jen Sicinski walked and scored on Sierra Bailey's double.
After dropping the first game, Framingham came into the second game scoring two runs in the first inning and then two more in the sixth inning to secure themselves their second conference win. Framingham scored two runs on two stolen bases and two Trailblazer errors. Senior Alyssa Begin (Salem, Mass.) reached on an infield error before stealing second and scoring on Phillips single. Phillips herself would steal second and come around to score on sophomore Helen Falzone's (Ashland, Mass.) single.
Begin and Phillips would both reach base in the sixth inning and score. Begin reached on an error and would score on a Phillips double. Phillips advance to third when the Trailblazers tried to get Begin out at home, and would score on a wild pitch.
The Trailblazers could only muster two hits against winning pitcher Alex Ferri (Winthrop, Mass.) and reliever Begin. MCLA had a chance to score in sixth inning when Meczwyor walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on an infield out but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Samantha Barbarotta's infield hit. The Trailblazers would put runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't push across a run.
Phillips went 2 for 3, scoring two runs and collecting two RBI's for the Rams.
Quackenbush (6-7) went the distance but took the loss. On the afternoon she collected 20 strikeouts, 12 of which came in the second game.
The Trailblazers return to the field tomorrow as they host Westfield State for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m., the Rams travel to Salem State on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Release courtesy of MCLA Sports Information.