Posted: Apr 26, 2023

Madison Mason Smacks Two Home Runs; Golden Bears Sweep Nor'easters in Twin Ball

Biddeford, Maine (April 26, 2023) – The Golden Bears traveled to the University of New England for a midweek CCC clash. After their doubleheader sweep of Wentworth on Saturday, WNE was sitting in second place in the CCC, hoping to stay there after the doubleheader today. Game one saw extra innings played, and WNE would hold off UNE for a 9-8 victory. The Nor'easters took a quick lead in game two, but the Golden Bears would come back and complete the sweep eighth win in a row.

Game 1: Western New England 9, University of New England 8

As usual, Megan Beebe entered the circle for game one of the doubleheader. In the other dugout, Kara MacDonald got the start. The pitchers controlled the first three innings of action. Both teams made pushes at the opening run, but nothing came of it for either team. In the top of the fourth inning, Madison Mason struck for the Golden Bears. Mason sent a shot down the left-field line, traveling over the left-field fence for a two-run home run. With the Golden Bears up two, Beebe kept up the shutout in the bottom of the inning. The offense then talked on two more by way of a Dina DiBlasio double to the gap in left-center field. That 4-0 lead was quickly erased in the bottom of the fifth inning. With a runner on, Abby Miner slapped a hit to center field. Miner rounded first and got to second. The score was 4-1 Golden Bears. A few batters later, Abby Walsh followed that hit up with a single down the right-field line. With runners on second and third, both came home to cut the Golden Bear lead to one.

The Golden Bears did not let the three fifth-inning runs phase them as they got a runner on base, and then Alex Ferriouolo turned on a pitch from MacDonald and sent it over the left-field fence for a two-run home run. That pushed the Golden Bear lead back up to three runs. The bottom of the sixth saw Ava Blanchard replace Beebe in the circle. Blanchard got the first batter to strike out. Then, after two singles from the Nor'easters, Abby Miner delivered again. A three-run home run to left-center field leveled the score at six runs per side going into the seventh inning. WNE was shut down in the top of the seventh inning, and Blanchard struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, so it was extra innings. Shea McDaniel was the runner at second for the Golden Bears. Madison Mason drove McDaniel in to put the Golden Bears up one. Then, Cori Rizzo slapped a hit at the pitcher, and it bounced into the outfield. That brought home Mason to double the Golden Bear lead. The Nor'easters would not go away, though. Jamie DuPont scored on a wild pitch from Blanchard to cut the deficit in half. Then, with runners on first and second, Grace Tutt slapped a single through the left side of the infield. That brought Herron in from second, and the score returned to level. Blanchard would get out of the inning, and the teams would go into a ninth inning.

The ninth inning saw the Nor'easters stop Baca from getting home to keep the score tied when Carrano hit the ball to the pitcher. Gracie Hemstock would send a ball to center field, and that was enough to bring DiBlasio home and score the game-winning run for the Golden Bears. Riley Kane entered the game in the bottom of the ninth for the save and would get it with two strikeouts and a ground out that Kane could take care of. The final score saw the Golden Bears outlast the Nor'easters by a score of 9-8.

Inside The Diamond:

Three WNE pitchers took to the circle today. They combined for eight runs on 13 hits and 16 strikeouts. Beebe recorded eight strikeouts, Blanchard recorded six, and Kane got two.
Dina DiBlasio went 4-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Madison Mason went 3-5 with a home run and three RBIs.
Cori Rizzo went 2-4 with one RBI on the game.
The Golden Bears took game one 9-8.

Game 2: Western New England 5, University of New England 3

After a crazy first game, the Nor'easters got off to a quick start with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Makenzy Herron started it off with a single to left-center field. That drove one run home. Then, Emma Koenig grounded out to the Golden Bear pitcher Riley Kane. However, that brought another run home, and the Nor'easters led 2-0 after one inning of play. The second inning saw UNE extend their lead to three when Herron delivered again with a single. The Nor'easters were leading 3-0 after only two innings of play. That is when the Golden Bears and Kane calmed down and went to work. The third inning was quiet from both sides. Then, Madison Mason made a statement in the top of the fourth with a second home run on the day. A three-run home run from Mason sailed over the left field fence, and just like that, the game was level at three runs per side. Kane shut down the Nor'easters in the fourth, and then the offense gave Kane some support in the form of a Gracie Hemstock single to center field. That hit brought DiBlasio home, and suddenly, the Golden Bears were leading 4-3.

Kane shut down the Nor'easters again in the fifth inning before being relieved by Megan Beebe in the sixth. Beebe took care of UNE in the sixth inning, getting a batter to pop into a double play to end the inning. Then, Kailey Carrano put her mark on the game with a single up the middle. That brought Ines Baez-Flores home, and the Golden Bears were up two with the Nor'easter's final at-bats looming in the bottom of the seventh inning. Beebe strode to the circle. The first batter walked, but then Beebe struck out the next two batters. Another runner would get on, but it would not matter as Beebe would get the final batter to ground out, and that is how it would end. The Golden Bears completed the sweep with a 5-3 win in game two.

Inside The Diamond:

Riley Kane got the win, letting up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
Megan Beebe got the save, letting up one hit against nine batters and getting two strikeouts.
Kailey Carrano went 3-4 with an RBI.
Cori Rizzo went 2-2 with a double and a walk.
Madison Mason went 1-3 with a game-tying home run.
Gracie Hemstock went 2-4 with the game-winning RBI.
The Golden Bears completed the sweep with a 5-3 win in game 2.