Softball Swept by Bay Path

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Softball team welcomed Bay Path College to Shewcraft Field for a non-conference matchup with the Wildcats. It was a tough day for the Trailblazers who dug themselves a deep hole, allowing Bay Path to run out to 8-0 leads in the top of the first inning in both games, and had to play from behind all afternoon. The Wildcats would walk away with wins in both ends of the twin bill by scores of 10-6 and 11-3
THE BASICS:
- Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Game #1: Bay Path 10, MCLA 6
- Game #2: Bay Path 11, MCLA 3
- Records: Bay Path University Wildcats 11-12 (USCAA 0-0) | MCLA Trailblazers 8-10 (MASCAC 2-2)
- Series History: Bay State leads the all-time series 11-9, including an MCLA sweep last year by scores of 4-2 and 11-10 on March 27th in Longmeadow. The teams split the first-ever meeting of the teams with Bay Path winning the first game 12-9 and the Trailblazers the second 9-5 on April 3, 2008 in Longmeadow.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Game #1
- Game one opened on a poor note, and got worse from there. For MCLA, junior pitcher Hailey Peabody (West Springfield, MA) started but was forced to leave due to an injury after only five hitters, without recording an out. Sophomore Juliana Johansen (Pittsfield, MA) took over and needed some time to staunch the bleeding, with the Wildcats finishing the first inning by scoring eight runs on only three hits.
- In the bottom of the frame, MCLA clawed back one run, with junior Maggie Closinski (Rome, NY) following a ground rule double by junior Ella Staffier (Marshfield, MA) and a sacrifice bunt by senior Ezmeralda Albright (Loves Park, IL) by reaching on an error and scoring Staffier.
- In the second inning, Bay Path added another run behind three walks and a single through the left side of the infield by Yasmine Badillo.
- The Trailblazers would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Madyson Torres (Dripping Springs, TX) started the rally with a double down the right field line. Two batters later freshman first baseman Allee George (Bennington, VT) worked a two out walk, and moved to second on a wild pitch. Graduate student outfielder Maddy Teta (Troy, NY) then scored both of them with a double to the right field fence.
- In the bottom of the fourth inning, MCLA added two more runs. Senior third baseman Veronica Deacon (Amesbury, MA) and George started the inning with walks, and then Teta took a pitch to the body to load the bases for Staffier. Staffier lifted a lazy fly ball down the left field line that the Wildcat short stop tracked down, but Deacon tagged up and scored. Albright plated Teta with a single to left, cutting the visitors lead to 9-5.
- MCLA would get another run back in the sixth when Teta led off with a double to the left-center field gap. Albright then picked up her second RBI of the game with a single that scored Teta.
- That would be as close as the Trailblazers would before Bay Path added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Carissa Church picked up a one out walk, and two batters later scored on a triple by Ansley Morrison.
- Kaitlyn Kerstetter went the distance for the Wildcats to pick up her fifth complete game and improving her record to 4-7.
- Game #2
- The story of the second game matched that of the first game down to the matching eight runs on only three hits for the visitors in the top of the first inning. Bay Path added three more runs in the top of the third inning all without the benefit of a hit, pushing their lead to 11-0.
- MCLA responded with a run in the bottom of the frame when Teta knocked a leadoff homer over the right field wall.
- The fifth inning saw the Trailblazers manufacture two more runs with a one-out triple by Staffier, and then back-to-back doubles by Closinski and Torres.
- Madison Sunderland notched her sixth complete game and advanced her record to 6-1 while striking out seven in five innings.
UP NEXT:
On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when it plays host to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy at Shewcraft Field for a MASCAC matchup with the Buccaneers. The first pitch is scheduled for noon. Prior to the first pitch, we will be celebrating this year's senior class so please plan to arrive early.
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