Western New England Opens CCC Play With Two Wins Over Eastern Nazarene

Uliase records complete game shutout in opener, before Golden Bears walk off with 4-3 win in game two

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 30, 2017) – Playing for the first time in two weeks, the Western New England University softball team opened both its home and Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) schedules with a pair of wins over Eastern Nazarene College on Thursday afternoon at Golden Bear Park. Western New England posted a 2-0 shutout victory in the opener, before walking off with a 4-3, eight-inning triumph in game two.

Western New England 2, Eastern Nazarene 0

Top Performers                                                                                                          
• Freshman Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) turned in another impressive performance in the circle, registering a complete game shutout while striking out four batters and allowing just five hits over seven innings to improve to 4-1 this season.
• Senior catcher Corianna DeLisi (Tuxedo, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while classmates Katie Wood (Westport, Mass.) and Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) both recorded RBI singles for the Golden Bears.

• Sophomores Lauren Clements (Garrison, Tex.) and Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) led the Eastern Nazarene offense with two hits each.

Game Review
• The Western New England offense provided Uliase with all of the run support she would need in the bottom of the first inning, as DeLisi led off with a triple to right field before coming in to score two batters later on an RBI single by Lavinio.
• The Golden Bears claimed a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Wood came up with the bases loaded and delivered a two-out, RBI single to center field.
• Eastern Nazarene stranded three runners in scoring position over the next two innings, and Uliase induced a pair of key double plays in the fifth and sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh.

Western New England 4, Eastern Nazarene 3 (8 Innings)

Top Performers                                                                                                          
• DeLisi homered and drove in two runs, while Lavinio went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Wood added an RBI single.
• Junior Sarah Broderick (Woodbury, Conn.) got the start in the circle for the Golden Bears and struck out eight batters while allowing just one earned run on four hits over five innings of work. Classmate Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) came on in relief and earned the win (3-0), surrendering just one hit over three scoreless innings.

• Clements again fueled the Lions at the plate with a walk and a two-run homer, while junior Heidi Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.  

Game Review
• Wood staked the Golden Bears to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single up the middle, but the Lions answered in the second on Gomez's RBI double to right center.
• Western New England restored its advantage in the third, as DeLisi belted her second homer of the season, and the senior gave the Golden Bears a 3-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI groundout.
• After Broderick retired the first two batters in the fifth, an error kept the frame alive and Clements proceeded to tie the contest with a two-run shot over the left field fence.
• Neither team threatened to score in the sixth inning, and Western New England left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
• Cramer retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, giving the Golden Bears an opportunity to walk off in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Samantha Emmert (Hyde Park, N.Y.) came on to pinch run and stole third base, before scoring the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by freshman Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.).

Notes
• Uliase, who has pitched at least seven innings in three of her six appearances this season, lowered her earned run average to 2.26 with today's performance.
• DeLisi has seven extra-base hits this season (16 overall) and the senior leads the Golden Bears with nine RBI in 12 games.

Up Next
Western New England (10-2, 2-0 CCC) is scheduled to return to action on Saturday at Endicott before heading home to host Salve Regina on Sunday, with both doubleheaders slated to start at noon. Eastern Nazarene (8-5, 0-2 CCC) will host the University of New England on Saturday at 1 p.m.