Wesleyan University Softball Uses a Six Run Seventh Inning to Split Doubleheader with Eastern Connecticut

MANSFIELD, Conn.- The Wesleyan University softball team split a doubleheader with Eastern Connecticut State University on Sunday, thanks to a six-run seventh inning in game two, at the Eastern Softball Stadium. The Cardinals dropped the first game 6-5 in eight innings, but rebounded with an 8-5 victory in game two.

RECORDS

Wesleyan: 20-12

Eastern Conn.: 13-21

GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Rielly Wieners ’17 and Julie McDonald ’18 put the Cardinals ahead in the first inning with RBIs. Wieners sacrifice fly would plate Angelina Massoia ’16, while McDonald’s RBI single would plate Jamie Hom ’17 to give the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage.
• The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Kristyn Ryan doubled home two Eastern base runners.
• In the top of the fifth, Izzy Linzer ’17 laced a RBI single to give Wesleyan a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning, Hom would knock in Massoia on a groundball to second to give Wesleyan a two run advantage at 4-2.
• Eastern would again tie the game in the bottom of the inning as Ryan took McDonald deep for a 2-run homerun.
• The teams would head to extras tied at four.
• In the eight, Wieners would give Wesleyan a one run lead as her RBI single would score Linzer.
• The Warriors would walk-off in the bottom of the inning thanks to RBIs from Samantha Bardos and Alyssa Hancock which gave them a 6-5 win.

GAME TWO:
 HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Like they did in game one, the Cardinals took an early lead as Massoia led off the game with a homerun to leftfield.
• Eastern would respond to tie the game at one in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Ryan.
• The Warriors would take a one run lead in bottom of the third on a Hancock solo shot to left centerfield to give them a 2-1 advantage.
• Annalie Walsh-Costello ’16 would tie the game in the top of the fourth, as her double would plate Olivia Gorman ’19.
• Summer Cipriani would give the Warriors the lead in the bottom of the inning as her RBI single scored Kayla Santos.
• Wesleyan exploded for six runs in top of the seventh to give them an 8-3 advantage. Hom led the way with a 2-run double, while Wieners and McDonald also contributed RBI hits in the inning.
• The Warriors would score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but is wasn’t enough as the Cardinals would go onto win, 8-5.
• Viveka Cousins ’19 earned her first win on the year as she went six strong innings allowing four runs (3 earned) while striking out three.
• Hom and Wieners led the Cardinals with two hits a piece, while Hom lead the team with her two RBIs.

UP NEXT

• The Cardinals will be back on the field Friday, April 29 as they will play Little Three and NESCAC rival Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
• The Warriors are back in action on Tuesday, April 26 as they play at UMass-Dartmouth in doubleheader action. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Jonas Powell '18