MILTON, Mass. – The Curry College softball team secured its first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) victory in a doubleheader split with Western New England University on Sunday afternoon at D. Forbes Will Field. The Golden Bears captured game one by a 9-4 final and then the Colonels responded with a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.
Game One – Western New England 9, Curry 4
Western New England got on the board in the top of the first with four runs. Sophomore Emily Cooney (Berlin, Conn.) tallied the game's first run as she scored a double steal, which advanced junior Sydney Pounds (Milford, Mass.) to third. After junior Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to put two on, freshman Dina DiBlasio (Norwalk, Conn.) connected on a home run to left to increase the lead to 4-0.
The Golden Bears tacked on two in the second, starting with a sacrifice fly to center field by freshman Jamie Cookingham (Warner, N.H.). The fly ball was deep enough to plate Cooney. On the very next play, junior Paige Uliase (Norwalk, Conn.) drove a ball out to right field and was misplayed by Curry junior Molly Horn (Buzzards Bay, Mass.). The error allowed Uliase to advance to third and scored DiBlasio and Kistner.
The Colonels put a run up in the home half of the third to get on the scoreboard. Sophomore Allison May (West Bridgewater, Mass.) got aboard with a bunt to the catcher. Freshman Liana Duarte (Taunton, Mass.) kept the inning going with a single down the left field line, advancing May to second. Sophomore Jocelyn Dimond (Weare, N.H.) connected on a double down the right field line, plating May to make the score 7-1.
Each side scored two runs in the fifth. Freshman Emily Rockwal (Chicopee, Mass.) reached on a throwing error by Dimond. The miscue brought around sophomore Emilie Decker (Pattersonville, N.J.) and Cookingham on the play to push the score to 9-1. Duarte contributed to the first Curry tally in the fifth, connecting on a single to left field. The base knock scored Horn. The second run would be plated after Duarte advanced to second on a wild pitch. May would eventually come around to score after a wild pitch and a throwing error by Cookingham as the score became 9-3.
The Colonels scored one more in the bottom of the seventh by way of a single to right center by freshman Julia Price (Islip, N.Y.). The one-bagger scored Dimond to make the score 9-4, the eventual final.
Uliase picked up the win in the circle, going 5.1 innings. She gave up two runs (both earned) on seven hits. The junior also fanned two to earn her sixth win of the season. Sophomore Taylor Newcomb (Millville, Mass.) was credited with the loss, tossing a complete game. She surrendered nine runs on eight hits while striking out two and walking four.
Duarte finished game one 3-for-4 at the plate. Kistner and Cookingham each registered two hits to lead Western New England in the opener.
Game Two – Curry 3, Western New England 1
The Golden Bears pushed the contest's first run across in the third on an RBI groundout to short by Kistner, which scored sophomore Allie Buzzeo (Meriden, Conn.).
The Colonels pushed across all three of their runs in the fourth. Price reached on an error, which allowed Horn to score to knot the game at one. Duarte drew a bases-loaded walk, which plated freshman Alexis Buckner (Foxborough, Mass.) and then Dimond drove in the final run on a single to center field to send Horn home.
Sophomore Carrigan Costello (Wolcott, Conn.) picked up the victory in the circle, allowing one run on three hits. She also struck out two and walked two. Kistner has credited the loss for Western New England.
Curry (11-20 overall, 1-11 CCC) will return to action on Wednesday, April 17 at Wentworth for a doubleheader starting at 3:30.
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