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Box Score 2 NAPLES, Fla. – Junior Marissa Spinuzzi (Fair Lawn, N.J.) belted a walk-off home run in the second game of the day to extend UMass Dartmouth's winning streak to seven games, continuing the program's best start in two decades with wins over St. Joseph (Conn.) and Minnesota-Morris.
Corsairs 7, St. Joseph (Conn.) 3
UMass Dartmouth continued its streak of hot-start first innings against the Bluejays, scoring five runs on three hits as part of a 7-3 victory. A trio of Corsairs each drove in two runs, and senior ace Shannon Orton (Swansea, Mass.) allowed only one earned run in seven innings of work.
Freshman Jill Miller (Freetown, Mass.) extended her hitting streak to nine games right from the get-go, knocking a double in the first inning with two outs as the first Corsair on base. After the Bluejays walked in the first run, junior Gracie Trudeau (New Bedford, Mass.) and freshman Briana Flaherty (Franklin, Mass.) recorded back-to-back two-RBI doubles to up the score.
The Bluejays responded with two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame, and Orton fanned the first three batters of the second. St. Joseph junior pitcher Danielle Circosta (Feeding Hills, Mass.) struck out two of the three UMass Dartmouth hitters she faced in the top of the third, setting the stage for Mary Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) to connect on an RBI single on the at-bat.
In the fourth, freshman Maddie O'Gryzek (Norfolk, Mass.) and Miller got on base on consecutive singles, taking advantage of the throw as two runs scored.
St. Joseph recorded three more hits in its last four plate appearances, but the UMass Dartmouth defense held solid to keep the score intact. Circosta put together a complete game, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits while striking out six.
Orton rises to 4-1 in the circle for the Corsairs, surrendering seven hits and fanning five on all seven frames. Sciglimpaglia led the Bluejays at the plate, going 2-for-4 with the lone RBI.
Corsairs 5, Minnesota-Morris 4
After flying out on her previous three at-bats in the game, Spinuzzi unloaded on the second pitch of her final plate appearance, breaking a 4-4 tie with one out in the bottom of the seventh to send the Corsairs to 9-1 overall.
Cougar pitcher Elli Stevenson (Hayti, S.D.) put the Corsairs in a bind in four innings of work after UMass Dartmouth rattled off four quick runs on Erin Kvam (North Branch, Minn.) in the first inning. The first three Corsair batters registered a hit, with Miller driving in sophomore Emily Colton (Kingston, Mass.) on a double up the middle. Rachel Carey (Holbrook, Mass.) singled and Trudeau laid a sacrifice grounder to earn the frame's last two RBI.
UMass Dartmouth sophomore Hannah Smith (Attleboro, Mass.) sat the first three hitters in both the second and fourth innings, getting out of a jam in the third to keep the Cougars off the board until the top of the sixth.
With the bases loaded, Stevenson dropped a ball into left center to give her team its second score. The Corsairs couldn't respond in their plate appearance, and the Cougar bats lit fire in the top of the seventh. Lacey Sullivan (Watertown, Minn.) and Bret Hulett (Monticello, Minn.) knocked back-to-back doubles, with Hulett picking up an RBI. Meghan Pomeroy (Arden Hills, Minn.) then put down a sacrifice bunt, driving in Sullivan before Smith could get the last two outs.
The stage was then set for Spinuzzi, who launched the solo shot over the left-center fence for just her second career long ball.
Miller finished with a 3-for-4 outing, as she has now registered at least one hit in every game for UMass Dartmouth. O'Gryzek and Colton each went 2-for-4, and Smith remains unbeaten on the season at 5-0 with four earned runs and three strikeouts on the outing.
Kvam took the loss, while Stevenson held her own allowing only three hits and fanning two. Junior Gina Downie (White Bear Lake, Minn.) posted a 4-for-4 performance including a double and six other Cougars registered a single hit.
The Corsairs face New England competition on Thursday, squaring off with Suffolk at 9 a.m. and Castleton at 11 a.m. Both games are scheduled for play at the Century Link Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla.
