Softball Sweeps Elms in Home Opener

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior Abby Higgins (Orleans, Mass.) racked up five RBI to help power the Owls to a doubleheader sweep over Elms College in the home opener from Westfield, Mass. on Wednesday afternoon.

The Owls improve to 7-5 on the season and have won three of their last four games. The Blazers drop to 0-6 on the year.

GAME 1

The Owls offense broke through on the second turn through the lineup. Megan Metzger (Uxbridge, Mass.) began the frame by drawing a walk, setting up A. Higgins who knocked home the game's first run of the contest with a run-scoring double to right center.

Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) followed by rocketing a ball off the left field wall to plate Higgins to give Westfield a 2-0 advantage. Annelyse Rivera (Brockton, Mass.) kept the two-out rally alive with a single into left field to punctuate the inning.

In the fourth inning, Jordyn Lummus (Pittsfield, Mass.) and Xandra Silva (New Britain, Conn.) came around to score on a Blazers' error to push the Owls lead to 5-0. A. Higgins tacked on another run on an RBI single, then in the fifth inning, Christina Ciampa (Rockville, Conn.) scored on a wild pitch to end game one on an eight-run rule.

Owls starter Stephanie Scoville (Northfield, Mass.) dominated in the circle, tossing all five innings and allowing just one hit while fanning eight Blazers hitters. She recorded her fourth win of the season.

Jayden Dow (Springfield, Mass.) took the loss for Elms, giving up seven runs (five earned) on nine hits across four innings.

GAME 2

Westfield's offense rolled into game two and continued to click, beginning with Alyssa Clark (Uxbridge, Mass.) who worked a walk to score Lummus. Ciampa was then hit by a pitch in the Owls next at bat, plating Bingham.

A massive second inning put the game well out of reach as the Owls tallied 12 runs in the frame alone. A. Higgins and Rivera both batted twice, registering a pair of singles with Higgins tallying three RBI while Rivera drove home two. Ciampa collected two hits and two RBI in the frame, and Mia Alfonso (Dalton, Mass.) wrapped a single to right for two more RBI. Bingham and Clark also generated RBIs as Westfield sent 18 batters to the plate in the second inning alone.

Katherine Canty (Natick, Mass.) and Gianna Conte (Greenfield, Mass.) split time in the circle for the Owls for game two. Canty (W, 3-0) started the game and went three innings, allowing four hits with two strikeouts. Conte tossed two clean innings and punched out three.

Ceara Wright (Chicopee, Mass.) started game two for Elms, taking the loss after one inning.

Westfield State will stay home for their next doubleheader as the Owls will host Gordon College with game one tentatively scheduled for noon on Saturday with game two following at approximately 2:00 P.M.