Western New England Tops Allegheny After Falling to Plymouth State

Golden Bears explode for six first inning runs in win over Gators

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 19, 2018) – The Western New England University softball team bounced back from a 4-0 loss to Plymouth State University with a 7-5 victory over Allegheny (Pa.) College on Monday morning at the Legends Way Ballfields. 

Plymouth State 4, Western New England 0

Top Performers
• Sophomore outfielder Sydney Pounds (Milford, Mass.) accounted for Western New England's only hit in Monday's opener, while freshman infielder Emily Cooney (Berlin, Conn.) also reached base with a walk

• Plymouth State sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Miller (Lee, N.H.) was dominant in the circle, striking out five batters allowing just two baserunners during a complete game performance.
• Junior outfielder Cassidy Emerson (Concord, N.H.) drove in two runs for the Panthers, while sophomore infielder Nora Butler (Tewksbury, Mass.) recorded an RBI triple.

Game Review
Cooney led off the first inning with a walk and advanced all the way to third base following a pair of groundouts, but she was stranded there as Miller induced a pop up to end the threat. 

Butler's triple got Plymouth State on the board in the bottom of the second inning, and Emerson added an RBI groundout two batters later as the Panthers opened up a 2-0 lead.

Another RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning extended Plymouth State's advantage to 4-0, and Miller retired Western New England's final nine batters in order over the last three frames to seal the win.

Western New England 7, Allegheny 5

Top Performers
• Western New England broke out offensively in the second game of the day, led by sophomores Carlie Moss (Delmar, N.Y.) and Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.), who drove in a combined five runs. Classmate Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) was also a key offensive contributor with two hits and a run.
• Uliase earned the win in the circle after allowing two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings.

• Allegheny freshman Kelly Lafferty (Suffolk, Va.) went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored out of the leadoff spot, while junior Maria Didonato (Pittsburgh, Pa.) recorded a two-run single for the Gators.

Game Review
Freshman Hayley Behr (Pittsburgh, Pa.) put Allegheny on top early with an RBI single in the top of the first inning.

Western New England erupted for six runs in the bottom half of the inning, however. After the first two Golden Bears reached base, Uliase brought them both home with a triple to right center. Three batters later, senior Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) recorded an RBI single to make it 3-0, and after senior Jen Zazzarino (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) walked to load the bases, Moss capped the big inning with a three-run double to right center.

Allegheny got one run back in the fourth on an RBI double by sophomore Jessica Gordon (Pittsburgh, Pa.), but Western New England restored its five-run cushion (7-2) in the sixth when Cooney recorded a sacrifice fly.

The Gators made the game interesting with three runs in the seventh, before Uliase came on in relief of freshman Heather Hassler (Oxford, Conn.) to strike out the final batter.

Up Next
Western New England (2-4) will be off tomorrow, before returning to action on Wednesday with games against Centre College (9 a.m.) and Williams College (11:30 a.m.) at Legends Way.