Golden Bears Open 2018 Campaign with Losses to Transylvania & Anderson in Florida

Howe records three hits, including first career home run

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – The Western New England University softball team opened its 2018 campaign with losses to Transylvania (Ky.) University and Anderson (S.C.) University on Saturday morning at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex. 

Transylvania 5, Western New England 1

Top Performers
• Senior Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.), sophomores Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) and Sydney Pounds (Milford, Mass.) and freshman Cassidy Howe (North Andover, Mass.) all singled in the opener, while Luba also scored Western New England's only run.

• Transylvania was led by senior outfielder Madison Dorsey (Indianapolis, Ind.), who delivered the game-winning hit with her seventh-inning grand slam.

Game Review
Western New England opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, when senior Jen Zazzarino (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) worked a bases-loaded walk to bring in a run.

Transylvania tied the contest in the third, as freshman Cece Wittry (Georgetown, Ky.) led off with a single and stole second base before coming around to score on a Western New England error.

The score remained tied until the seventh, when Dorsey emptied the bases with a grand slam, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Anderson 4, Western New England 2

Top Performers
• Howe went 2-for-4 with her first career home run in game two, while sophomore Tori Fisher (Poestenkill, N.Y.) accounted for Western New England's other two hits in the contest.

• Sophomore Tara Morey (New Palestine, Ind.) led Anderson, going 3-for-4 with one RBI, while senior Mariah Hardin (Indianapolis, Ind.) and freshman Annilou Belvo (Camden, Ohio) added two hits each for the Ravens.

Game Review
Western New England again jumped out to an early lead, this time scoring in the first on an error in the outfield that allowed senior Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) to cross the plate.

Anderson pulled ahead for good with two runs in the second, which came on RBI hits by Morey and junior Katy Johnson (Yorktown, Ind.). The Ravens tacked on two more runs in the fourth to extend their advantage to 4-1.

Howe's fifth-inning homer to left field cut Western New England's deficit to two, but the Golden Bears were unable to generate any offense over the final two frames.

Up Next
Western New England (0-2) will be back in action on Sunday with games against Oberlin (9 a.m.) and Bowdoin (11:30 a.m.).