Carrano, Rizzo Blast Home Runs in Softball's Sunday Afternoon Sweep of Curry

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 16, 2023) – The Golden Bears returned home after the sweep over conference foes Roger Williams for a Sunday matinee doubleheader with the Curry College Colonels. The Golden Bears put seven runs up in the bottom of the fifth with two three-run home runs to win game one 9-1. Game two saw the Golden Bears get six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and that propelled them to a 10-3 win and a sweep of the doubleheader.

Game 1: Western New England 9, Curry 1

After a time change to the game to get the field set after the Saturday rain, the teams were set and ready to play ball. Megan Beebe started in the circle for game one of the doubleheader. Beebe faced trouble early with bases loaded in the first inning. However, she got out of it, and the offense rewarded her with a run in the bottom of the inning. Kailey Carrano slapped a shot into center field that dropped over second base. That would bring Taylor Keegan in from second base. The lead was 1-0 after one inning of play. That calmed the game down for the Golden Bears and Beebe, who sat the Colonels down one, two, three in the top of the second. The bottom of the second saw another runner come home on a Taylor Keegan two-out double to left-center field that split the outfielders and brought Cori Rizzo through home plate. The score was 2-0 after two innings. The top of the third saw the Colonels strike back. Madelyn White hit a foul ball that Cori Rizzo got underneath and caught for out number two. Emily Bussiere tagged from third base on the play and was caught in a run down at first, but would score when the Golden Bears went to tag the runner traveling from second who got close to the base. They got the runner, but Bussiere scored to cut the lead to 2-1. The Golden Bears threatened with a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning, but Caitlyn Wood shut them down with Wood's fifth strikeout of the game. Riley Kane entered in the top of the fourth to pitch for the Golden Bears and struck out two batters to keep the Colonels from tacking on another run.

The runs quieted down for a little, but Cori Rizzo made some noise when she re-entered the game and blasted a three-run home run to deep left field. That made the score 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth with no outs in the inning. After an out, Taylor Keegan laid down a perfect bunt that collapsed the infield and brought Baez Flores home for a run. The Colonels got another out, but there would be two runners on for Kailey Carrano, and Carrano sent one into the woods behind left field for a three-run home run and ended the game with that homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. The final score was 9-1 after five innings of play.

Inside The Diamond:

• Riley Kane got the win in relief with three strikeouts against five hitters. 
• Kailey Carrano and Taylor Keegan each went 3-4, with Carrano hitting a homerun and having four RBIs. Keegan had a double and two RBIs.
• Cori Rizzo went 2-2 with a home run and three RBIs.
• Caitlyn Wood Pitched four innings, let up six runs, and had five strikeouts.
• Emily Bussiere went 2-3 for the Colonels and scored their lone run.
• The Golden Bears won 9-1 in five innings.

Game 2: Western New England 10, Curry 3

The first two and a half innings were quiet as Ava Blanchard and Jillian Rogers pitched strong innings. The bottom of the third inning saw Rogers get two outs, but Kailey Carrano went to the plate and hit a hard single to third that Curry could not get to first cleanly, and the ball got past first base, and that brought Bri Floyd home for the first run of the game. That was the only run of the inning, and the score was 1-0 WNE after three innings. Blanchard would then keep the Colonels scoreless in the top of the fourth and watch the offense get her more runs in the bottom of the inning. Cori Rizzo slapped a double to right-center field, which brought Alex Ferriouolo home to double the Golden Bear lead. The next batter, Ines Baez-Flores, laid down a bunt, and it was thrown to first but dropped as Baez-Flores ran through the base. Rizzo advanced home as the ball dribbled away from the fielders. The score was 3-0 after that bunt and error. Keegan was up two batters later, got a hold of a pitch, and put it off the top of the left field fence, bouncing up and back into play. Keegan stretched it into a triple and brought Baez-Flores home to extend the lead to four. Grace Hemstock would walk with the bases loaded to bring a fourth run home in the inning. That was followed by Madison Mason sending a ball up the middle, which brought home two and put the lead at 7-0 for the Golden Bears. That was it for the fourth inning, but the damage was done with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

After a scoreless fifth inning, the Colonels made the top of the sixth their inning. Emilia Garcia would relieve Blanchard for the top of the sixth. Jillian Rogers started the scoring with a single to right field that saw Natalia O'Kleasky score on a throwing error by the Golden Bears. Then, with the bases loaded, a wild pitch brought Bella Newcomb home to cut the lead to five. Finally, Karlie Pontes sent the ball to shortstop and was thrown out, but Rogers came home, and after the top of the sixth, the score was 7-3. The Golden Bears would see the three runs scored and answer with three of their own. Those two runs came on a Kailey Carrano two-run blast lined over the left field fence. The score was 9-3 after that home run. That was followed a few batters later by Paige Baca sending a ball that the shortstop had to dive to stop, bringing Poisson home, who was pinch running. Baca was safe at first. That would be it, and the score was 10-3. Kane would enter to pitch for the Golden Bears. Kane got a strikeout and would finish off the Colonels and make that 10-3 score the final.

Inside The Diamond:

• Ava Blanchard pitched five innings, faced 19 batters, and struck out four. 
• Kailey Carrano went 2-3 with another home run and two RBIs.
• Gracie Hemstock and Paige Baca went 1-2, each with an RBI.
• Cori Rizzo had another extra-base hit on the day with a double that brought home a run.
• Natalia O'Kleasky went 3-4 in the game and scored a run.
• The final score was 10-3 Golden Bears.

Up Next: 

The Golden Bears will try to keep the hot streak going as they travel to Amherst for a midweek doubleheader. The games will be at 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM at Amherst Softball Field.

The Colonels will get almost a week's break before hosting Gordon College on Saturday, April