Posted: Mar 24, 2016
Coach Mayhew Reaches 500 Win Milestone as WNE Walks off with Two Victories over Smith
Game 2
Game 2
Smith
(4-8)
4
Western New Eng.
(5-7)
5
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
|
Western New Eng. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 3 |
Game 1
Game 1
Smith
(4-7)
3
Western New Eng.
(4-7)
4
| Final (9) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Smith | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|
Western New Eng. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 24, 2016) - Western New England University head softball coach Lori Mayhew reached the 500 win milestone this evening as the Golden Bears walked off with a pair of thrilling extra inning victories over Smith College in their home opener.
Western New England (5-7) came from behind in both games, defeating the Pioneers 4-3 in nine innings in the opener before overcoming a late three-run deficit and claiming a 5-4, eight-inning triumph in the nightcap.
Now in her 20th season at the helm of her alma mater, Mayhew owns a career record of 500-275-2 (.645). The 2001 Downes Hall of Fame inductee was recognized as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coach of the Year last spring after leading the Golden Bears to a 30-win campaign and the program's first conference title.
Western New England 4, Smith 3 (9 innings)
Today's opener featured a pitcher's duel between Western New England senior Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) and Smith sophomore Rowan Turner (Prairie Village, Kan.). Grieger went the distance, scattering nine hits, striking out five batters and allowing just one earned run, while Turner also recorded five strikeouts and gave up one run over five innings in the circle.
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the top of the third, when senior Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn.) singled with one out before eventually coming around to score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Allison Snyder (Succasunna, N.J.).
The visitors' lead was short lived, however, as Western New England tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on junior Gabby Lavinio's (Dalon, Mass.) solo homer over the left field fence.
Neither team was able to push across the go-ahead run over the next three frames, sending the contest to extra innings. Junior Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash.) gave Smith a 2-1 edge in the top of the eighth with an RBI single to right field, but Western New England got the run right back in the bottom half of the inning on junior Corianna DeLisi's (Tuxedo, N.Y.) RBI single up the middle.
Smith kept the pressure on the Golden Bears in the ninth, plating another run to claim a 3-2 advantage. Western New England did not allow the game to reach a tenth inning, however, as Lavinio led off with an RBI double to right center and senior McKenzie Pezze (Albany, N.Y.) ended the contest with a walkoff double to right field, scoring Lavinio from second base.
Western New England 5, Smith 4 (8 innings)
Smith got another strong pitching performance in game two, as junior Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass.) logged seven innings in the circle, striking out six batters and allowing just one earned run. Western New England junior Samantha DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) matched Burchat's effort, lasting seven frames and giving up one earned run on eight hits. Sophomore Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) picked up her first win of the season in relief after working the eighth.
Lavinio and Pezze led the Golden Bear offense with three hits each, while freshman Lydia DeAngelo (Portsmouth, R.I.) had two hits and one RBI for the Pioneers.
Smith scored single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh, and Burchat kept Western New England off the board over the first six innings as the home team faced a 3-0 deficit heading into its final at-bat.
Sophomore Lucia Cavacini (Natick, Mass.) got the rally started by drawing a pinch-hit, leadoff walk, and Grieger followed by reaching base on an error. Sophomore Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) came up next and drove in Western New England's first run with a single to right center, while classmate Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) and Lavinio delivered RBI hits later in the inning to tie the game.
The Golden Bears would be forced to overcome one final deficit, as Smith scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Turner. After a sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Tara Cabral (Kingston, Mass.) to third base in the bottom half of the inning, freshman Allison Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.) came through with an RBI single, advancing into scoring position on a Smith error. The next batter struck out, but junior Katie Wood (Westport, Mass.) provided the heroics with a single to right field, scoring Mishol from second and securing Mayhew's milestone victory.
Western New England will be right back in action tomorrow with its CCC opener at Nichols, while Smith (4-8) is off until next Friday, when the Pioneers host Clark.
Western New England (5-7) came from behind in both games, defeating the Pioneers 4-3 in nine innings in the opener before overcoming a late three-run deficit and claiming a 5-4, eight-inning triumph in the nightcap.
Now in her 20th season at the helm of her alma mater, Mayhew owns a career record of 500-275-2 (.645). The 2001 Downes Hall of Fame inductee was recognized as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coach of the Year last spring after leading the Golden Bears to a 30-win campaign and the program's first conference title.
Western New England 4, Smith 3 (9 innings)
Today's opener featured a pitcher's duel between Western New England senior Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) and Smith sophomore Rowan Turner (Prairie Village, Kan.). Grieger went the distance, scattering nine hits, striking out five batters and allowing just one earned run, while Turner also recorded five strikeouts and gave up one run over five innings in the circle.
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the top of the third, when senior Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn.) singled with one out before eventually coming around to score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Allison Snyder (Succasunna, N.J.).
The visitors' lead was short lived, however, as Western New England tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on junior Gabby Lavinio's (Dalon, Mass.) solo homer over the left field fence.
Neither team was able to push across the go-ahead run over the next three frames, sending the contest to extra innings. Junior Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash.) gave Smith a 2-1 edge in the top of the eighth with an RBI single to right field, but Western New England got the run right back in the bottom half of the inning on junior Corianna DeLisi's (Tuxedo, N.Y.) RBI single up the middle.
Smith kept the pressure on the Golden Bears in the ninth, plating another run to claim a 3-2 advantage. Western New England did not allow the game to reach a tenth inning, however, as Lavinio led off with an RBI double to right center and senior McKenzie Pezze (Albany, N.Y.) ended the contest with a walkoff double to right field, scoring Lavinio from second base.
Western New England 5, Smith 4 (8 innings)
Smith got another strong pitching performance in game two, as junior Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass.) logged seven innings in the circle, striking out six batters and allowing just one earned run. Western New England junior Samantha DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) matched Burchat's effort, lasting seven frames and giving up one earned run on eight hits. Sophomore Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) picked up her first win of the season in relief after working the eighth.
Lavinio and Pezze led the Golden Bear offense with three hits each, while freshman Lydia DeAngelo (Portsmouth, R.I.) had two hits and one RBI for the Pioneers.
Smith scored single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh, and Burchat kept Western New England off the board over the first six innings as the home team faced a 3-0 deficit heading into its final at-bat.
Sophomore Lucia Cavacini (Natick, Mass.) got the rally started by drawing a pinch-hit, leadoff walk, and Grieger followed by reaching base on an error. Sophomore Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) came up next and drove in Western New England's first run with a single to right center, while classmate Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) and Lavinio delivered RBI hits later in the inning to tie the game.
The Golden Bears would be forced to overcome one final deficit, as Smith scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Turner. After a sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Tara Cabral (Kingston, Mass.) to third base in the bottom half of the inning, freshman Allison Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.) came through with an RBI single, advancing into scoring position on a Smith error. The next batter struck out, but junior Katie Wood (Westport, Mass.) provided the heroics with a single to right field, scoring Mishol from second and securing Mayhew's milestone victory.
Western New England will be right back in action tomorrow with its CCC opener at Nichols, while Smith (4-8) is off until next Friday, when the Pioneers host Clark.
