Falcons Drop Pair Of Non-Conference Contests To Golden Bears

Lashua and O'Connor notch first collegiate hits for Green and Gold

Springfield, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University softball team dropped a pair of contests to the Golden Bears of Western New England University by the scores of 3-0 and 13-3  in non-conference action from the Golden Bears Softball Park.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 0, Western NE 3 (GM1)

Score: Fitchburg State 3, Western NE 13 (GM2)

Records: Fitchburg State (1-10, 0-0 MASCAC) I Western NE (10-4, 0-0 CCC)

How It Happened

Game One

Fitchburg State nearly opened the scoring in the top of the fifth as sophomore Julia Gauvin (Granby, Mass.) singled to down the leftfield line and one batter later senior Sarah Cahill (Mansfield, Mass.) singled down the right field line to put runners at first and second with one out, but Western New England hurler Megan Beebe (Ellington, Conn.) worked out of the jam unscathed.

The Golden Bears broke the 0-0 stalemate in the bottom of the fifth when graduate student Dina DiBlasio (Norwalk, Conn.) doubled to right center to plate junior Taylor Keegan (Bristol, Conn.) before senior Kailey Carrano (West Haven, Conn.) blasted a two-run home run to left center, resulting in the 3-0 final.

Inside the Numbers

• Freshman Madison Lashua (Gardner, Mass.) collected her first collegiate hit for the Green and Gold
• Gauvin and Cahill added one hit each for the Falcons
• Cahill suffered the loss for Fitchburg State, allowing three runs on six hits with seven K's in the complete game effort
• Carrano went 1-for-3 with a home run, one run scored and two RBI for the Golden Bears
• Beebe earned the win for Western New England, giving up three hits with seven strikeouts over six innings of work 

Game Two

Western New England took an early 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the first when Keegan stole home before Carrano and sophomore Gracie Hemstock (Cheshire, Conn.) added RBI's in the frame.

Trailing 5-0 in the top of the third inning, Fitchburg State answered as senior Molly Grass (Rockland, Mass.) doubled down the rightfield line to bring in newcomer Adria Stys (Lowell, Mass.), while sophomore Isabella Sousa (Charlton, Mass.) followed with two-run infield single to make the score 5-3.

The Golden Bears pushed the lead 13-3 in the bottom of the fourth with Carrano and junior Madison Mason (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) launched home runs before Keegan notched a two-run triple, resulting in the 13-3 final.

Inside the Numbers

• 22nd meeting between the Falcons and the Golden Bears on the softball field with Fitchburg State 7-15 all-time when taking on Western New England
• Sousa hit 1-for-2 with two RBI for the Falcons
• Grass added a double, one run scored and an RBI for the Green and Gold
• Freshman Madison Solt (Salem, N.H.) gave up eight runs (six earned) o six hits with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief for Fitchburg State
• For the Golden Bears, Keegan batted 3-for-3 with a double, two triples, four runs scored and two RBI
• Sophomore Ava Blanchard (Cheshire, Conn.) picked up the win for Western New England, yielding three runs on three hits with six K's over four innings pitched
• Senior Bryanna O'Connor (Hudson, N.H.) registered her first collegiate hit for the Green and Gold

Up Next

Falcons return to action on Saturday as they host the Raiders of Rivier University for a non-conference twin bill, starting at 12:00PM.