As the softball regular season is nearing its end, the conference matchups for UMass Boston will become more prevalent. According to Beacons Athletics, the Beacons recently matched up against conference opponents UMass Dartmouth and Keene State in doubleheaders. These four games totaled eight straight games against conference opponents [1].
According to Beacons Athletics, in game one against the Corsairs, the Beacons got on the board first when Lauren Miner drove in Haley Tilberry with a single in the first inning. However, the Corsairs doubled the Beacons’ score in their half of the inning, putting the Beacons down 2–1 after one inning [2].
The Corsairs added two more to their total in the second. It wasn’t until the third inning where the Beacons scored again, when Tilberry scored on an error. That error was more than made up for in the fifth inning when the Corsairs gave themselves a five-run lead [2].
The Beacons cut into the lead a little with Sofie Richland’s single in the sixth and Kaitlyn Sawyer reaching on a fielder’s choice in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough. The Beacons lost 7–4 in game one, and unfortunately, game two wasn’t any better. The Corsairs got two runs in the fourth inning and two in the sixth in a shutout against the Beacons, completing the sweep [2].
It was a difficult series for the Beacons, but according to Beacons Athletics, they were able to bounce back in their next set of games against the Owls. Game one didn’t see much action until the third inning, where an error allowed Ella Delisle to make it home. In the fourth, a passed ball led to a score from Miner, and the Beacons were up 2–0 [3].
It was in the fifth inning that the Beacons racked up the runs. Miner hit a double, driving in Bri Melchionda to kick things off. Then, Mya Perron walked and drove in Gracie Granger, who scored on a passed ball. The scoring concluded with Kyleigh Gray grounding out, but Miner still scored [3].
Melchionda continued her pitching masterclass until the end, shutting out the Owls in game one, resulting in a much-needed 5–0 Beacon victory. Melchionda also started off game two with the game’s first run, hitting a double in the first to drive in Tilberry. In the third, Richland scored on a passed ball, which was quickly followed by a Hayley Krockta double, driving Tilberry in again [3].
Amauri English joined in on the fun with a double of her own, driving in Jacqueline Cherry, giving the Beacons a commanding 4–0 lead. The Owls finally boke their cold streak in the fifth, where a Beacon error allowed them to score two runs, making the score 4–2. Krockta wasn’t having it, though, so she hit a sacrifice fly in the second half of the inning to drive Melchionda in [3].
The Owls scored one more late run, but not enough to come back. It was a clean sweep for the Beacons, taking a 5–3 victory in game two. The Beacons have been impressive through most of the season, even with some slip-ups here and there. The Corsairs’ series may have been a tough blow, but UMass Boston didn’t let it get to them and showed the Owls what they were really made of [3].
Coach Natalia Ardanga did not have any comments regarding these games, but the job she’s done this season cannot be underestimated. The Beacons hope for more results like the Owls’ series, as the number of games remaining dwindles down [1].
Sources:
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/softball/schedule
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/4/21/softball-drops-lec-pair-against-umass-counterparts-from-north-dartmouth.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/4/24/baseball-a-career-day-for-melchionda-helps-lead-beacons-to-sweep-over-keene-state.aspx
