Western New England Splits with Gordon in CCC Finale

Golden Bears bounce back from 5-0 loss in opener with 6-5 victory in game two

WENHAM, Mass. (April 27, 2019) – The Western New England University softball team wrapped up Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play with a doubleheader split against Gordon College on Saturday afternoon.

Gordon 5, Western New England 0

Top Performers
Senior Giovanna Russo (East Haven, Conn.) and sophomore Emilie Decker (Pattersonville, N.Y.) had Western New England's only hits in the opener, while junior Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) got the start in the circle and struck out ten batters, allowing two earned runs over six innings.

Gordon junior pitcher Caitlin Catalanotto (Kingston, N.H.) finished with seven strikeouts and surrendered just two hits during a complete game shutout performance to pace the Fighting Scots. Sophomore Karissa Hatchell (Eaton, Colo.) recorded two hits for the home team, while classmate Lily Rivera (Concord, N.H.) drove in a pair of runs.

Game Review
The Gordon offense gave Catalanotto all the run support she would need in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Megan Jenkerson (McDonough, Ga.) led off with a double, and Hatchell followed with another double to put two runners in scoring position. After the next batter popped out, sophomore Kristen Brown (Granite Springs, N.Y.) got the Fighting Scots on the board with an RBI groundout.

Gordon plated a single run in the fourth to double its lead, before tacking on three more in a fifth inning that was highlighted by Rivera's two-run double down the left field line.

Western New England 6, Gordon 5

Top Performers
The Golden Bears did the majority of their damage offensively with two swings in the second contest, as Kistner recorded a three-run double and freshman Emily Rockwal (Chicopee, Mass.) hit a two-run homer.

For the Fighting Scots, Rivera went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and one RBI, while junior Laura Bieren (Groton, Mass.) doubled and drove in three runs. Hatchell and Jenkerson were also key contributors for Gordon with three hits each.

Game Review
Gordon took an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jenkerson got it started with a single up the middle, and Hatchell followed with a double before Bieren drove them both in with another double. Two batters later, Rivera added an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Western New England was held scoreless for the first three innings before breaking through for five runs in the fourth. Freshman Dina DiBlasio (Norwalk, Conn.) led off with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on Rockwal's two-run homer. Later in the inning, Kistner came up with the bases loaded and delivered a double, allowing all three runners to score.

Jenkerson stole home in the bottom half of the fourth to get the Fighting Scots back to within one (5-4), but the Golden Bears restored their two-run cushion (6-4) in the sixth when junior Sydney Pounds (Milford, Mass.) recorded an RBI groundout.

A Bieren sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth again cut Gordon's deficit to one, but the home team was unable to push across the game-tying run as the Golden Bears held on to salvage the split.

Up Next
Western New England (21-15, 9-7 CCC) returns home to host Eastern Connecticut in non-conference action on Tuesday, while Gordon (18-18, 5-11 CCC) awaits its opponent for the CCC Tournament, which begins on Thursday.