Softball Sweeps by Wheelock College

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College senior catcher Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) drove in a total of seven runners to become the program's all-time leader in RBI as the Blazers posted wins of 23-0 and 24-3 against Wheelock College in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball double-header at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

With the wins, Elms improves to 2-8 overall, 2-0 in NECC play, while Wheelock starts its season 0-2 overall, 0-2 in NECC action.

In the first game, Buckley went 2 for 3 at the plate with five RBI, while senior second baseman Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) was 1 for 1 with four runs scored and three RBI as the Blazers took advantage of 20 walks. Senior third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) added two hits.

Elms' sophomore pitcher Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) pitched the first two frames and struck out four batters, while reliever Liz Patient (Leicester, Mass.) tossed three strikeouts in the final three innings to earn the win.

Kim Perault (Medford, Mass.) was 2 for 3 for Wheelock and Kiersten Cosgrove (Pequannock, N.J.) suffered the loss and tossed two strikeouts.

In game two, the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead when Perault singled left, advanced to third on a Molly Rose (Weymouth, Mass.) base hit to left field and then scored on a poke up the middle by Cosgrove to give Wheelock a 1-0 lead.

Elms answered with 11 runs in the bottom of the inning and six each in the second and third innings and one in the bottom of the fourth to stake a 24-1 advantage.

The Wildcats pushed across two in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by Rose and Perault to set the final score at 24-3.

The Blazers took advantage of 18 free passes in the second contest and used three hits each from Butt, sophomore catcher Gianna Gonyea (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and freshman right fielder Kierstan Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.). Kierstan Skinner also drove in four runs, while Butt, Gonyea, sophomore shortstop Gina DiGiovanni (Springfield, Mass.) and junior left fielder Kellie McLaughlin (Pittsfield, Mass.) drove in three runs each.

Sophomore hurler Alyson Santerre (Thompson, Conn.) pitched the first two innings and struck out two batters, while freshman reliever Sarah Carpenter (Vernon, Conn.) struck out five in three frames of work and earned the win.

Kayla Grosso (Barnstable, Mass.) suffered the loss for Wheelock, while Perault and Rose highlighted the offensive efforts with two hits and an RBI apiece.

Elms returns to non-conference action on Tuesday, April 2 with a 3:30 p.m. game at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass.