KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Backed by a solid offensive effort the UMass Dartmouth softball team defeated Manchester University, 8-7, and Endicott College, 5-2, in The Spring Games action on Thursday. The Corsairs wrap up their spring trip and return to the Northeast with an 8-2 overall record.
Game one action was an offensive affair as the score flipped in the Corsairs favor in the bottom of the second inning. Trailing by a 2-1 margin after the opening frame, the Corsairs nabbed the lead in the bottom of the second as junior designated player
Olivia Silva belted a home run to dead center.
UMass Dartmouth continued to capitalize in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by a double to left center from senior centerfielder
Sydney Menz, who drove home the runner on third for the 5-2 score. Junior left fielder
Liv Matos then belted a double to right center as two runs came home and senior third baseman
RaeLynn Perregaux singled to drive in the eighth run of the game for UMD (8-2).
Into the top of the sixth, the Spartans bats came alive with first baseman Sabrina Leonard posting a double to left to bring in a pair of runs and close the gap to 8-4. Third baseman Molly Gilhooly followed with her own double to left to drive in Leonard, making it an 8-5 advantage for the Corsairs.
The Corsairs made a pitching change heading into the seventh as sophomore
Lily Routhier came on to relieve rookie
Brielle Kenney. Manchester looked to take advantage and was able to score a run on a single up the middle by center fielder Kendal Rider.
A single from catcher Crystal Cooke to third brought in another run to narrow the gap to one (8-7), but Routhier got designated player Krryn Miller to ground out into a double play as senior second baseman
Emma Talpey scooped up the ball, tagging the advancing runner, before sending it to first for the third and final out of the game.
Silva went 2-for-4 with a run scored and four runs batted in, while Matos was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Perregaux was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while Menz was a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. She also recorded a game-high six putouts.
Game two of the day saw the Corsairs get out to a fast start as Perregaux led off with a home run to centerfield for a 1-0 advantage. UMass Dartmouth had another batter reach as Silva reached on a throwing error and advanced to second, but the Gulls pitching forced two ground outs and a strikeout to end the threat.
The Gulls looked to answer in the bottom of the second after a double to right by Maddie Beeley and an ensuing single from Kylyn McLaren put runners on the corners, but Corsairs sophomore
Edy Crawford got the final out, catching a line drive.
It continued to be a quiet affair at the plate for both teams combined for six hits over three innings of play. In the top of the sixth with two outs on the board, the Corsairs saw rookie
Bre Fontes draw the walk, later advancing on a wild pitch. Menz went on to draw the walk, but Endicott's Kristen Beebe was able to get Talpey to ground out to second to end the inning.
The top of the seventh saw the Corsairs come alive once again as rookie shortstop
Chloe Edwards drew a one-out walk. She went on to advance to third on back-to-back wild pitches as Perregaux followed with a walk and advanced to second.
Silva was up next, reaching on a fielder's choice that saw Edwards get thrown out at home, but a walk to Routhier loaded the bases with two outs and another walk – this time to senior designated player
Lena Tsonis – brought in the Corsairs second run to force a pitching change for the Gulls.
The Corsairs continued to take advantage as Fontes belted a bases clearing double to right, making it a 5-0 game heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Endicott opened the frame with a single down the left field line from Ava Kelley. Another single put runners on first and second and both advanced on a grounder soon after.
Endicott got a run in on a sacrifice fly and a single through the right side by Ella Tower to push across their second run, but Crawford struck out Kyla Story to end the game and seal the victory for UMD.
Fontes was 1-for-3 with three RBI as Tsonis has a run scored and an RBI. Perregaux was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Crawford posted the solid victory, going 7.0 innings, allowing just two runs on 11 hits. She struck out one batter and walked just one.
The Corsairs return to action on Tuesday for their 2026 home opening doubleheader against Bridgewater State. First pitch for game one is at 2:30pm.
