Softball Suffers Double-Header Sweep to Bay Path College, 4-2 and 3-2

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore pitcher Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) fanned 11 batters and allowed just two hits in game one and freshman hurler Jamie Miner (Chicopee, Mass.) allowed two hits and struck out three batters in game two but Bay Path College earned a pair of extra-inning victories in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball action at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

Bay Path won the first game, 4-2 in eight innings and followed with a 3-2 eight-inning triumph to improve to 14-20, 6-8 in NEC action. Elms falls to 9-15 on the season, 8-6 in conference action.

Bay Path 4, Elms 2 (8 innings)

In the opener, Colson was sensational in the circle taking a no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning.

Elms scored single runs in the bottom of the second and fourth innings when freshman pinch-hitter Samantha Alvino (Holtsville, N.Y.) walked and later scored when senior centerfielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) reached on an error to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead. Elms added to its lead when sophomore designated player Gianna Gonyea (East Longmeadow, Mass.) walked to leadoff the fourth frame and then scored when Spring cranked a triple to right field.

In the top of the seventh inning, Emily Seranno (North Adams, Mass.) walked and then scored on a triple by Katherine Chabot (Brookfield, Mass.). A sacrifice bunt down the third base line by Katie Sperry (Guilford, Conn.) evened the game at 2-2 and forced Elms to bat in the bottom of the frame.

After a scoreless home half of the seventh, Bay Path pushed across two in the top of the eighth when Marina Rhodes (Providence, R.I.) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field and Dougherty, who reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a single to center by Nicole Ogden (Springfield, Mass.).

Dougherty then retired the side in order earn the win. Colson falls to 3-7 on the season.

Spring was 3 for 4 with two RBI in the losing effort.

Bay Path 3, Elms 2 (8 innings)

In the second game, the Wildcats scored unearned runs in the third and seventh innings highlighted by Chabot's RBI fielder's choice in the seventh to give Bay Path a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, freshman shortstop Taylor Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.) singled to center, advanced to second on a groundout and then scored on a double by Spring. Senior third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) then cracked an RBI single to left field allowing Spring to cross home with the tying run.

However, in the top of the eighth inning, Bay Path plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Rhodes to set the score at 3-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Alvino reached on a fielder's choice and then went to second on a pinch-hit single by Caitlee Carrier (Charlestown, Mass.), but Dougherty pitched out of the jam forcing a pair of fly outs to seal the sweep for the Wildcats.

Spring was 3 for 4 in game two with a run scored and an RBI, while Alvino had two hits in the loss.

Miner was stellar in the circle allowing three unearned runs on two hits and struck out three in 8.0 frames of work.

Dougherty allowed two runs on 10 hits and issued one strikeout to earn the win.

Elms returns to NECC action on Sunday, April 21 at Lesley University for a 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. double-header.