Westfield State Takes Two Over Softball

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Elms College softball team fell to host Westfield State in a pair of non-conference games at Alumni Field Thursday afternoon. The Blazers battled the Owls in a 10-6 loss in the opner, and then fell 10-4 during a darkness-shortened nightcap.

In the opener, Erika Gouin's 2-run shot to left center gave Westfield a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning.

Elms pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5, scoring on a RBI bunt single from Catherine Wrang when she beat out her squeeze attempt, with Wrang later scoring on Elizabeth Olszewski's RBI single.

The Owls broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five times. Emma Dunbar tripled to lead off the inning, Bri Tortora followed with an RBI base hit.  Liz Kelly tripled to score Tortora.  Julia Sullivan followed with a double that plated Kelly, and Maddy Atkocaitis followed with a base hit to center to score Kelly.  Atkocaitis eventually came around to score on Michaela LeBlanc's sacrifice fly to give the Owls a 10-5 lead.

Atkocaitis finished 3-3 with four RBI, Sullivan added three hits, and Kelly finished with a double and a triple from four at bats.

Sophomore pitcher Sarah Eugenio went the distance for Westfield, striking out seven while allowing six hits and just two earned runs.

For Elms, Olzewski finished with a pair of hits, including a 3-run home run and four runs batted in. Tessa Cote took the pitching loss. 

In the night cap, Westfield erupted for eight runs in the second inning, with Karly Mastello launching a mammoth 2-run home run to right field, Sullivan delivering a 2-run triple and Atkocaitis adding an RBI triple.

Sullivan added a solo home-run off the scoreboard in right field in the fourth inning. Mastello finished the afternoon 3-3 at the plate with a home run and a triple. Sullivan added a pair of hits, two runs and two rbi.

Sullivan also earned the pitching win for the Owls, tossing six innings and allowing four runs while striking out six.

Raeanna Tumel (1-3) took the loss for Elms, surrendering the first eight runs, but just three earned in 1.2 innings of work.  Olzewski and Tea Sullivan each added a pair of hits for the Blazers (3-9).

Elms coach Cheryl Condon is a Westfield State graduate, class of 1979. She was making her first appearance at WSU since being inducted into the Owls Hall of Fame in September as a standout on both the softball field and basketball court.

Source: (Westfield State Athletics)