Softball Earns Double-Header Split with Newbury College

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College softball team earned a double-header split on Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action against Newbury College at Cheryl R. Condon Field. The Nighthawks won game one 6-1, and the Blazers took game two, 6-5.

With the split, Elms concludes its regular season 10-19 overall, 9-9 in conference play and advances to the NECC Championship tournament. Newbury concludes its regular season 18-17 overall, 12-6 in NECC play and also punches its ticket to conference postseason play.

Newbury 6, Elms 1

In the opener, Newbury jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first when Michaela McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) doubled in a pair of runs and then scored on a wild pitch.

The Nighthawks added to their lead with two runs in the top of the second inning sparked by a two-run single to right field off the bat of Alyssa Donovan (West Haven, Conn.) to set the score at 5-0.

Newbury extended the lead to 6-0 in the top of the sixth when Tory Hoemke (Wilton, N.H.) walked and later scored on a wild pitch, before the Blazers pushed across their only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh when freshman right fielder Kierstan Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.) scored from second on a two-base error following a strikeout.

Junior first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) was 2 for 3 for Elms, while sophomore hurler Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) suffered the loss (3-9) in the circle allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits with a strikeout in 7.0 innings pitched.

McGowan was 3 for 4 with two RBI and Donovan was 2 for 4 with two RBI and both scored a run in the game one win. Rebecca Roach (Charlton, Mass.) allowed one unearned run on five hits in 7.0 frames of work and struck out five to move to 10-7 on the season.

Elms 6, Newbury 5

In game two, Elms took the early lead plating two runs in the bottom of the second on a two-run double to left center field by senior center fielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) and Elms then used a throwing error that scored two runners and an RBI single off the bat of sophomore designated player Gianna Gonyea (East Longmeadow, Mass.) to take a 5-0 lead.

The Nighthawks pushed across a run in the top of the fourth on a solo blast to right center by McGowan and then knotted the game in the top of the fifth when they plated four runs on the strength of three hits and two Elms miscues to even the game at 5-5. Amber Rapchun (Corona, Calif.) cracked an RBI double to right field to drive in the tying run.

The Blazers forged ahead in the bottom of the sixth when senior second baseman Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) belted a two-out double to left center and then scored on an RBI single to right by senior third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) to give Elms a 6-5 lead.

Elms' freshman pitcher Jamie Miner (Chicopee, Mass.) then pitched a scoreless seventh frame to secure the split.

Witaszek, Spring Butt and junior left fielder Kellie McLaughlin (Pittsfield, Mass.) each had two hits in the win for Elms, while Miner improved to 5-5 in the circle allowing five runs (two earned) on 10 hits with three punch-outs in 7.0 innings of work.

McGowan led the way for Newbury with a 3 for 4 effort at the dish, while Rapchun, Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) and Sheri Liggiero (Tewksbury, Mass.) each had two hits. McGowan suffered the loss in the circle in game two allowing six runs (four earned) on 12 hits and fanned three hitters in 6.0 stanzas to move to 8-10 on the season.