Tour De Force as Owls Sweep Buccaneers

WESTFIELD, Mass.    –  Highlighted by a grand slam home run from Kassidy LaTour, Westfield State registered a sweep of Massachusetts Maritime Academy in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Sullivan Field.

Westfield was a 9-1 winner in game 1, and topped the Buccaneers 13-5 in game two, ending both games early via the eight-run rule.  Westfield has won nine straight games, including all eight (all at home) since returning from Florida, and have won seven of those eight via the eight run rule as the potent Owls' offense entered the game ranked fourth in the country in team batting average and in the top 10 in several other offensive categories.

Westfield improves to 16-2 on the season and 2-0 in the MASCAC, while Mass Maritime is 12-6 and 0-2.

In the opener, Westfield scored in all five innings. The Owls pushed a single run across in the first three innings.   MMA answered with a towering fly-ball solo homerun from Kelsey Booker to lead off the fourth and cut the lead to 3-1.

Westfield got a line-shot, 2-run home run from Sarah Bingham in the fifth, and then a 2-run double from Hannah Wodecki that gave the Owls a 9-1 lead and the walk-off win.

In the pitching circle, Westfield's Katherine Canty improved to 6-0, throwing a complete game and striking out nine. She allowed just four hits and the lone run on the home run. Wodecki finished 2-4 with three RBI, and Sarah Hough, who recorded her 100^th career hit earlier this week, rapped out two more.

Jennamarie Klemp (L, 6-3) threw a complete game for the Buccaneers.  Booker and Reagan Kerecz each had two hits.

In the nightcap, LaTour got the Owls off to a fast start, launching a towering grand slam home run down the left field line and just inside the foul pole for a 4-0 lead in the bottom of first inning.

In the third inning, MMA strung together six hits for four runs to tie the game, getting a 2-run double off the base of the right centerfield fence.

Westfield scored four times in the third inning and five in the fourth.  Rylie Camacho plated two runs with a double in the fourth, and Mia Alfonso led off the fifth with a solo home run. Abby Clark drove in two with a base hit, and Christina Ciampa followed with an RBI triple to the gap in right center.

Five different players had a pair of hits for the Owls.  Clark and Camacho each drove in three runs.

Joss Mettey (W, 5-0) went the distance in the pitching circle for the Owls, scattering 11 hits and five runs.

Kerecz, Booker and Sarah Holler each had two hits for the Bucs.   Ashleigh Catlett (L, 6-3) took the pitching loss while tossing a complete game.

Westfield will be back in action on Wednesday, hosting Smith in a non-conference doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Westfield could match the best start in program history with a pair of wins on Wednesday.  The Owls went 18-2 under coach Ken Magarian in 1975.