Softball Sweeps Twinbill From Mass Maritime

WESTFIELD, Mass. –  Westfield State junior centerfielder Jordyn Lummus (Pittsfield, Mass.) rapped out seven hits in the doubleheader, including a 4-4 day in game one, as the Owls swept a MASCAC softball doubleheader from Mass Maritime.

Westfield State (14-6, 4-0 MASCAC) won game one by an 8-6 final score, and game two by a 12-4 final count.  The Owls start 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2009, and hold a share of first place in the league standings.

In the opener, Westfield jumped out to a 5-0 lead with two in the first and three in the third.  Westfield got back-to-back doubles from Abby Higgins (Orleans, Mass./Nauset) and Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) in the third inning to score one run.   Alyssa Clark's (Uxbridge, Mass.) base hit scored Bingham, and Christina Ciampa (Rockville, Conn.) followed two hitters later with a base knock to score Clark.

Maritime (10-12, 0-4 MASCAC) struck for three of their own in the top of the fourth with RBI singles from AB'C'DE Patane (La Mesa, Calif.), Rubi Butler (Plainville, Mass.) and Hannah Burton (E. Bridgewater, Mass.), but Westfield got those three runs back in the bottom of the inning with a two run single up the middle from Mia Alfonso (Dalton Mass./Pittsfield), and another base hit from Ciampa.

Stephanie Scoville (W, 7-1) (Northfield, Mass./Pioneer Valley) went the distance for the Owls, scattering 11 hits and five earned runs while striking out six. Lummus was 4-4 with two runs scored, and Alfonso finished 3-4 with three runs batted in.

Kelsey Booker (Corning, N.Y.) finished with three hits and three RBI for the Buccaneers.  Starter Jennamarie Klemp (L, 8-10) (Onset, Mass./Wareham) tossed a complete game for the Buccaneers, yielding 14 hits and eight runs.

In game 2, Maritime took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning on RBI doubles from Patane and Burton, and an Rbi single from Carleen Harring (Billerica, Mass./Essex Tech).

Westfield scored three times in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead, as Sarah Hough's (Southwick, Mass.) two-out, two-on single scored one run with another coming home to score as the ball got away on the relay throw.  Abby Higgins added an RBI single to give Westfield a 5-3 lead.

Both teams would add a single run before Westfield struck for six runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning.  Hough led off the inning with a base hit, Bingham doubled her home to start the rally, and Lummus capped the win with an RBI single up the middle to extend the lead to eight and end the game.

Lummus and Hough each finished with three hits, and Ciampa added a pair of hits which included a solo home run.    Starter Gianna Conte (W,2-3) (Greenfield, Mass.) worked five innings allowing two earned runs, before Game 1 starter Scoville came on from the bullpen to get the final six outs and earn her first save of the year. 

Patane was 3-3 with two rbi for the Buccaneers. Starter Erin Donlan (L, 2-2) (Durham, Conn.) took the loss after allowing 13 hits and five earned runs in five plus innings of work.