SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Curry College softball team dropped a pair of contests to conference opponent Western New England University on Saturday afternoon at Golden Bear Park. The Golden Bears topped the Colonels in a 10-0, five-inning triumph in the opener, before completing the doubleheader sweep with a 2-0 win in game two.
Western New England 10, Curry 0 (5 Innings)
Top Performers
• Senior Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) led Western New England's 15-hit outburst, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored.
• Sophomore catcher Mallory Donelan (Mineola, N.Y.) also posted a 3-for-3 effort with one RBI and one run scored, while sophomore Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) and freshman Cassidy Howe (North Andover, Mass.) recorded two hits each.
• Sophomore Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) got the start in the circle and improved to 3-3 this season after striking out three batters and allowing just one hit over four innings of work.
• Freshman Jocelyn Dimond (Weare, N.H.) and senior Carolyn Lynch (Ipswich, Mass.) tallied one hit each for the Colonels.
Game Review
Western New England's offense was rolling from the outset of the contest, as the Golden Bears plated three runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Howe, Luba and sophomore Carlie Moss (Delmar, N.Y.) all recorded RBI singles off Curry senior pitcher Rebecca Black (East Greenwich, R.I.).
The Golden Bears extended their advantage to 7-0 with four runs the following inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Howe singled to center field, scoring Donelan. Luba followed with an RBI double, before sophomore Tori Fisher (Poestenkill, N.Y.) capped the scoring in the frame with a two-run single to left field.
Western New England tacked on three more runs in the fourth, and senior pitcher Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) came on to get the final three outs as the Golden Bears secured their first run-rule victory of the season.
Western New England 2, Curry 0
Top Performers
• Kistner was a key contributor both at the plate and in the circle in game two. She struck out a career-high ten batters and surrendered just one hit during a complete shutout game pitching performance, while also going 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.
• Curry senior Kevi Oatway (East Hartford, Conn.) accounted for the Colonels' lone hit with her fifth inning leadoff single.
Game Review
After two scoreless frames, the Golden Bears put the only two runs of the game on the board in the third inning.
Curry senior pitcher Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.) retired the first two batters in order, but senior Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) singled to keep the inning alive.
Kistner came up next and delivered an RBI double to right center field, and the sophomore advanced to third before coming in to score on a dropped fly ball in right field.
Kistner allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way as the Golden Bears completed the sweep.
Up Next
Western New England (6-6, 2-0 CCC) will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon, when the Golden Bears host Keene State for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. Curry (2-12, 0-4 CCC) travels to Wheelock on Monday.
(Game Recap Courtesy of Western New England University Sports Information)