DARTMOUTH, Mass. -Â 5th-year senior
Jill Richards and sophomore
Kaitlyn Shirshac put together masterful pitching performances as the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth softball team earned a key sweep over UMass Boston, 1-0 and 3-2, Monday afternoon at home.
Senior
Lindsay Chubbuck sent her team-high fifth home run over the fence for the difference in game one for the Corsairs (21-8-1, 7-3 LEC), while a pair of walks and an infield single got the job done in game two. The Beacons (16-12, 6-6 LEC) drop to fifth in the standings.
GAME ONE
Chubbuck's solo home run in the fourth inning was all it took for UMass Dartmouth to take down the Beacons in the first game of the day.
Richards won her 12th game in the circle, firing a complete-game shutout with seven strikeouts and held UMass Boston to only three hits and one walk. The Beacons' sophomore Emily Doble was tremendous on the other side, limiting the Corsairs to only two hits with two walks over six innings.
Chubbuck advanced to third in the first when Richards doubled, but was caught on the base paths to finish the inning.
UMass Boston had a chance in the third with a leadoff double, but the runner was caught stealing at third to end the threat.
Chubbuck's home run was the Corsairs last hit of the game. It was what UMass Dartmouth needed as Richards faced the minimum in the final three innings.
GAME TWO
It was another pitchers duel as Shirshac and UMass Boston's Bri Melchionda battled. Shirshac went six innings and allowed only one earned on six hits with five K's and a walk. Melchionda gave up three earned on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks issued.
Every run came in the second inning. The Beacons struck first when a leadoff walk led to a pair of two-out base hits to bring one run across to give the road team their first lead of the day.
UMass Dartmouth then worked the count to quickly go back ahead. Senior
Averi Soares, junior
Victoria Rossetti, and freshman
Kinu Takasugi all reached to load the bases. Sophomore
Dyonna Rodas then walked to tie the game, 5th-year
Leah Major chopped a grounder to the pitcher for an RBI single, and Richards walked to make it a 3-1 Corsairs advantage.
Shirshac kept UMass Dartmouth on top through the next four innings. Richards then came in to close the game, let one run score on a sacrifice fly, but hung on for her second save of the year.
UP NEXT
UMass Dartmouth plays its final home regular season game against Roger Williams on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
