DARTMOUTH, Mass. – It was a doubleheader sweep on Senior Day for the UMass Dartmouth softball team as they bested the University of Southern Maine in Little East Conference action. The Corsairs posted wins of 3-1 and 7-3 to move to 16-6 and 4-2 in conference play.
Game one action saw the Corsairs open the game's scoring in the bottom of the third as senior centerfielder
Sydney Menz sent a sacrifice fly to center, allowing classmate and third baseman
RaeLynn Perregaux to score from third.
The Huskies answered in the top of the fifth, scoring the equalizer as Aislin Davis laid down a sacrifice bunt, reaching on a muffed throw as Kristina Yebba scored from third.
In the bottom of the fifth, Menz – who had a number of outstanding catches in the game – put the Corsairs ahead for good with a two-run single.
UMD held strong to the lead, allowing just one hit over the final two innings to seal the win. Menz went 1-for-2 with three runs batted in. Junior catcher
Olivia Silva was 2-for-2 with a run scored, while rookie shortstop
Chloe Edwards and Perregaux each had a hit with a run scored.
In the circle, rookie
Brielle Kenney improved to 5-0 on the season, allowing just one run on four hits in a complete 7.0 innings. She also struck out six batters.
Game two saw the Corsairs jump out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Silva grounded out to short, allowing Perregaux to score from third. In the second, it was Perregaux that added to the advantage, sending a sacrifice fly to center that brought in senior designated player
Lena Tsonis.
In the top of the third, the Huskies tied things up behind an RBI double to left from Gwen Christie and an RBI single to center by Olivia Levasseur. Tsonis helped the Corsairs regain the lead in the bottom of the frame, sending a two-run single to center to make it a 4-2 game.
In the fourth, USM's Mackenzie Renner homered to left field to narrow the margin to 4-3, but an RBI single up the middle by Tsonis, coupled with an RBI single through the left side from junior left fielder
Olivia Ali and an RBI single to short from Silva pushed the Corsairs to a 7-3 margin they would not surrender.
Tsonis went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three runs batted in, while Silva was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Menz was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, while Ali was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Perregaux was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. In the circle, sophomore
Edy Crawford went the distance, allowing three runs on six hits through 7.0 innings. She struck out four batters as well.
Following game two, the Corsairs honored their four graduating seniors, including Perregaux, Menz, second baseman
Emma Talpey and Tsonis.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Tuesday, hosting UMass Boston in conference doubleheader action against the Beacons. First pitch is set for 2:30pm.
