On one of the warmer Patriot’s Days in recent history, the UMB softball team’s bats heated up, bashing out 18 hits and scoring a season high number of runs as the Beacons handily defeated Lasell College 12-4. The victory snapped a six-game winless streak for UMB.
The early innings indicated the game might go down to the last pitch. After Lasell scored a run in the top of the first, UMB tied the score on the back end of a double steal. Leadoff hitter Kristen Bowes, who had a monster day at the plate, singled up the middle and then proceeded to steal second base.
Centerfielder Stacey Peterson then singled to left, moving Bowes to third. Two pitches later, Peterson took off for second base. Lasell catcher Ashley Matthews threw through to second baseman to cut down Peterson. Bowes took off from third base almost simultaneously. The Lasell second baseman cut the throw off and relayed it back to home; however, Bowes beat the throw home.
Beacon starting pitcher Stephanie Poulos had a rough second inning, giving up three runs on three hits as Lasell College took the lead, 4-1. But the Glen Falls native was superb after that, surrendering only one hit and one walk over three innings. She pitched a total of five innings earning her fifth win of the season to go along with three losses.
The bottom of the third inning belonged to freshman first baseman Siobhan Lynch. Two batters after Peterson recorded the second of four hits on the day, Lynch stepped to the plate and launched a 2-2 pitch to left-center field that easily cleared the fence. It was Lynch’s seventh homer of the season.
The fourth inning was a virtual hit parade as six different Beacons get a hit. Catherine O’Reilly and Poulos connected for back-to-back singles. After a failed bunt attempt by Nicole Parisi forced O’Reilly at third base, Bowes smacked a pitch that found the left-centerfield gap, scoring Poulos and Parisi. Bowes ended up at second base with her second double of the day.
Bowes eventually reached third base on another Peterson single and later scored on an error on another double steal attempt.
Leftfielder Alma Medina knocked in the final two runs of the inning with a sharp single to right field, scoring Peterson and Kristen Smoyer.
Andrea Spinale pitched a scoreless top of the sixth inning, although Lasell did manage to load the bases with less than two outs.
The Beacons scratched out two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning increasing the lead to 12-4 and ending the game. The victory was the team’s fifth of the season, one more than all of last year (4-27). Lasell record dropped to 12-13.
UMB will next play a doubleheader against Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Thursday, April 24 and then at home on Saturday, April 26 against Little East rival Plymouth State.
