DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by solid offensive production at the plate and strong pitching in the circle, the UMass Dartmouth softball team defeated Salve Regina University by the scores of 4-2 and 10-4 in non-conference doubleheader action on Wednesday. The Corsairs move to 14-6 on the season with the wins.
Game one saw the visiting Seahawks open a 1-0 advantage as Skyla Oliveira singled in front to drive in the runner from third in the top of the second. The score remained the same until the bottom of the third as the Corsairs came roaring back as senior third baseman
RaeLynn Perregaux scored on a wild pitch.
A double to left by senior centerfielder
Sydney Menz drove in another run and junior right fielder
Lily Routhier added another double to left to make it a 3-1 game. In the top of the fifth, Salve pushed another run across before the final out of the frame to narrow the gap to 3-2.
Menz belted another double to left in the bottom of the fifth, bringing junior left fielder
Olivia Ali in for the 4-2 advantage. The Seahawks had a chance to tie things up, but a key double play in the top of the sixth shut down the rally. In the top of the seventh, sophomore
Edy Crawford forced three straight grounders to conclude the game and seal the victory.
Menz went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two runs batted in, while Ali was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Routhier was 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Perregaux was 1-for-3 with a run scored. In the circle, Crawford posted the victory, allowing two runs (1 earned) on five hits over 7.0 innings. She struck out two batters.
Game two once again saw Salve open the game's scoring, this time in the top of the fourth as an RBI double to right by Madeleine Oswald and a sacrifice fly from Ryann Burke put the visitors up by a 2-0 margin.
In the bottom of the fourth with two runners on, senior catcher
Lena Tsonis belted a three-run homer over the right field wall to give UMD the 3-2 lead. An RBI double from Perregaux pushed the score to 4-2 and double off the bat from Ali, coupled with a single up the middle from junior left fielder
Olivia Silva made it a 6-2 lead after four.
In the fifth, Tsonis sent an RBI single to right center, while a double to center from rookie shortstop
Chloe Edwards saw the Corsairs open up an 8-2 lead after five. Salve added another run in the top of the sixth, but a two-run double to left center from Routhier made it a 10-3 score. The Seahawks picked up a final run in the top of the seventh, but Crawford was able to shut down the visitors to pick up the save and conclude the game.
Routhier earned the victory in the circle for the Corsairs pitching 4.0 innings as she allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout. Crawford came on for the save, pitching 3.0 innings with two runs (1 earned) allowed on four hits.
Menz went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Tsonis was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four runs batted in. Ali was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Perregaux was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Routhier also went 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs, while both Silva and Edwards each had a hit with a run scored and an RBI.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Saturday, welcoming Southern Maine in Little East action. First pitch of game one will be 1pm. The Corsairs will celebrate their senior class following game two.
