Softball Comes Up Short in Pair at WNE

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Strong late-inning work in a pair of Conference of New England tilts Friday afternoon guided the Western New England Golden Bears softball team to a pair of wins over Wentworth Institute of Technology. The Golden Bears held on for a 5-2 win in game one before rallying for a 4-3 decision in the nightcap.

With the wins, WNE improves to 10-8 overall (4-2 CNE). The Leopards slip to 11-11 overall (1-3 CNE).

GAME ONE: WNE 5, WENTWORTH 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Golden Bears scratched a run on the board in the third inning as a double by Riley Kane plated a runner in scoring position. In the fourth, the Leopards answered and took a 2-1 edge as Lauren Trostel sent a two-run homer over center field.
• WNE capitalized on two runners in scoring position in the back half of the inning, first with an RBI single driving home a tying run. A double from Marley Rodriguez plated another scorer, marking a 3-2 edge, before a single by Kane drove home another two scores to extend the lead to 5-2.
• Wentworth failed to get a runner on base in the sixth or seventh frames, resulting in the Golden Bears holding on. Trostel paced four fellow Leopards who registered a hit, while in the circle, Julie Schriver struck out two and surrendered eight hits and five earned runs in four frames.

GAME TWO: WNE 4, WENTWORTH 3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth pitched an early lead in similar fashion in game two as Jess Rowe shot a home run in the second inning to mark a 1-0 lead. However, the Golden Bears responded in the fourth as a single, an error, and a wild pitch all chipped in to WNE plating a pair of runners.
• In the sixth, the Black & Gold re-gained their one-run lead thanks to a single from Trostel which drove home a pair of runs with the bases loaded. Kyla Igawa and Katelin Howe each helped give Wentworth a 3-2 edge with runs scored.
• Each of the Leopards' three batters in the seventh grounded out before in the back half of the frame, a single by Rodriguez with two runners in scoring position drove home both, earning the Golden Bears a 4-3 walk-off win.
• Igawa led the Leopards with a pair of hits while Trostel notched a pair of RBI. In the circle, Rowe fanned four batters and gave up four hits while Julia Malowitz took the loss in relief.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the 36^th and 37^th all-time meetings between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• The Black & Gold host Nichols on Sunday.

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