UMassD Softball's Late-Inning Heroics Lead to Sweep of JWU

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Powered by a seventh inning comeback in game two, thanks to a game-winning three-run homerun from freshman catcher Olivia Silva, the UMass Dartmouth softball team completed the sweep over Johnson & Wales. Another freshman was the hero in game one, as left fielder Liv Matos hit a go-ahead grand slam in the fourth inning of an eventual 9-1 win in game one. Silva's first career homer in game two capped off the comeback as UMD took a 10-8 victory. The Corsairs boast an overall record of 13-7, while the Wildcats slide to 10-12 overall.
 
Game one of the doubleheader saw a 1-1 score through the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, sophomore second baseman Emma Talpey got things going for UMD with a one-out single down the third base line. Sophomore third baseman brought in thr first run of the inning on a single up the middle. With the bases loaded and one out, Matos bombed one over the left-center field fence. Her grand slam and second career homer put UMass Dartmouth up, 5-1 through four innings.

Senior hurler Kaitlyn Shirshac had another great outing, allowing just one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts in a full 5.0 innings of work. She held off the bats of the Wildcats as the Corsairs drove in another three runs in the top of the fifth, featuring a solo-homerun from sophomore third baseman RaeLynn Perregaux. Perregaux's first homerun of the season was followed up by a two-RBI double from junior left fielder Jill Walsh, as the Corsairs took game one by a score of 9-1 via the eight-run rule after 5.0 innings.

Game two saw JWU strike first, taking a 4-1 lead through the first two innings. Senior shortstop Julia Huzi hit a two-run homer in the second. The Corsairs scored a run in each of the next two innings, but the Wildcats drove in three more in the bottom of the fourth, leading by a 7-3 margin through four.

The Corsairs came to the plate in the top of the sixth trailing 8-3. Lyons started things off with a leadoff single up the middle. Sophomore center fielder Sydney Menz slapped a base hit of her own. Freshman second baseman Hailey Soares drove in the first run of the inning, followed up by another RBI single from senior shortstop Larissa Piessens. UMass Dartmouth trailed 8-6 going into the seventh, as Shirshac shut down the bats of JWU in the sixth and seventh innings, retiring all six batters she faced.

Still trailing by two, the Corsairs had to make something happen in the seventh. With one out, Matos got on first with a single to left field. Perregaux notched a base hit as well, setting up Menz with two runners on base. Menz smacked a double down the left field line to bring in a run and cut the UMD deficit to one. With two outs and the go-ahead runner on second base, the freshman Silva blasted a no-doubter over the left-center field fence. Silva's three-run shot gave the Corsairs a 10-8 lead, as UMass Dartmouth completed the sweep over Johnson & Wales.  

The Corsairs return to their home field to host Plymouth State in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's Game of the Week on Saturday. The first game of the doubleheader is set to start at 1:00pm in Dartmouth.