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Box Score 2 DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Sophomore Emily Colton (Kingston, Mass.) and senior Shannon Orton (Swansea, Mass.) each dropped four hits while Orton drove in a team-high five runs as UMass Dartmouth softball split in a home doubleheader with Framingham State on Tuesday afternoon. The Rams took game one to advance to 5-9 on the season, while the Corsairs prevailed in a five-inning contest called due to darkness in game two, rising to 13-4 overall.
Framingham State 8, Corsairs 5
Freshman Kelsi Gunarathne (North Providence, R.I.) struck out five, allowing just one earned run on six hits in 6.1 innings of work to lead Framingham State to an opening 8-5 victory. She was supported by four-straight scoring innings from the Ram offense, including a four-run fourth to go along with six extra-base hits by the visiting bats.
Orton paced the late run-scoring efforts from UMass Dartmouth, drilling her first home run of the season to record three RBI as part of a 3-for-4 outing. Colton saw a perfect game at the dish, going 3-for-3 off Gunarathne including a double.
The game began scoreless through two innings, until Ram freshman Lauren Salisbury (Cranston, R.I.) dropped a double in the top of third, eventually scoring on an errant throw. She then continued the momentum in the next inning. After the Rams loaded the bases, Salisbury connected for a three-RBI triple before scoring herself on a Corsair error in the next at-bat. UMass Dartmouth was then able to get out of the inning, trailing 5-0.
In the fifth, Framingham State's Anna Dziok (Southampton, Mass.) and Jessica Pieterson (Norton, Mass.) knocked back-to-back RBI hits, upping the visitors' advantage to seven runs. The Corsairs then got on the board in their turn at the plate, as Colton doubled on a near home run ball that bounced off the top of the fence into left center. She then scored off the bat of Maddie O'Gryzek (Norfolk, Mass.) in the next at-bat.
Framingham State added another run to start the sixth, but UMass Dartmouth wouldn't go quietly as the bats came to life against Amanda Troiano (Seekonk, Mass.) in the final inning. Colton and O'Gryzek each reached base to begin the frame, and with two outs, junior Marissa Spinuzzi (Fair Lawn, N.J.) stroked her first hit of the day to drive in Colton. Orton then stepped into the box and promptly blasted a ball over the left field fence to put the score at 8-5. Gunarathne then re-entered in the circle, securing the last out and the win.
Orton took the loss, pitching a full game with five strikeouts and allowing four earned runs on nine hits. For Framingham State, Salisbury paced the offense with three RBI as Dziok, Pieterson and Megan Downing (Hanson, Mass.) each drove in one run.
Corsairs 6, Framingham State 5
Junior Gracie Trudeau (Dartmouth, Mass.) doubled to center field, scoring the would-be game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning in game two, which was called early due to darkness. Orton added two more RBI as UMass Dartmouth took a 6-5 win.
In the circle for the Corsairs, sophomore Hannah Smith (Attleboro, Mass.) rose to 8-1 on the season, throwing all five innings with five earned runs and three strikeouts.
UMass Dartmouth had the bats working on Pieterson right from the get go, as Colton, O'Gryzek and freshman Jill Miller (Freetown, Mass.) knocked three-straight singles to open the contest. Miller earned an RBI on her hit, while Orton plated O'Gryzek on a groundout to shortstop to exit the first inning with a 2-0 advantage.
The Rams gained one back in the third, as junior Tiffanie Marsh (Tewksbury, Mass.) drove in junior Marissa Flynn (Marlborough, Mass.) on a single to left field. UMass Dartmouth's Adi Alicea-Cordero (Dorchester, Mass.) prevented any more damage by turning a force-out double play at third and second to get out of the inning.
Orton then collected her second RBI hit in as many at-bats in the bottom of the frame, this time plating Miller to re-up the lead to two runs.
Salisbury's hot day at the dish continued in the fourth inning. With Pieterson and Dziok on base, she smashed a deep double to left field to score both and tie the game at three. The Rams would then take the lead in their next at-bat after sitting the first three UMass Dartmouth batters in the fourth. Dziok drove in pinch-runner Brittany Dougal (Danvers, Mass.) on a single before Salisbury again connected to plate Pieterson. Smith would get out of the inning by fanning the next Ram batter.
The Corsairs would close the game, taking advantage of three-straight Framingham State errors to close the gap and tie the score at five. With two outs, Miller and Spinuzzi each reached base, scoring on a dropped ball in center field off the bat of Orton. Trudeau then capped the inning, sending Orton home on the inning's lone hit to secure the win before the game was called after the final out.
Pieterson slipped to 0-5 in the circle for the Rams, giving up six hits and three earned runs while fanning two. For the day, Salisbury went 4-for-6, totaling six RBI on 13 Ram runs scored.
UMass Dartmouth will play again tomorrow, traveling to Worcester State for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. The Rams will host Johnson & Wales on Thursday for two games at 3 p.m.
