DANBURY, Conn. - The Western Connecticut State University softball team put together strong pitching, timely hitting and nearly perfect defense Friday night and swept a Little East Conference doubleheader from Plymouth State University, 3-0 and 11-2 in five innings at Westside Field.

            WestConn, the pre-season favorite to win the Little East, improves to 4-0 in conference play and 17-7 overall, while PSU drops to 2-4 in the LEC, 16-6 overall.

            Senior righty Shelby Slie (Seymour, Conn.) had her best outing of the season in the opener for Western, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out 12.  The only hit she would yield was a single through the left side by freshman Kortney Nedeau (Kennebunk, Maine) in the fourth inning.

            The Colonials loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third but PSU starter Kat Roland (Norton, Mass.) struck out Stacey DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and Brittany Finkeldey (Ivoryton, Conn.) to end the threat.  Roland, now 7-2 on the season, allowed seven hits, struck out 10 and walked three for the Panthers.

            WestConn's offense broke open a scoreless tie in the fifth with all three of its runs.  Loren Angiolillo (Wolcott, Conn.) had a two-RBI single and DiMaggio drove in Angiolillo with a double down the left field line.

            The Colonials put two runs on the board in the first inning of the nightcap.  Angiolillo continued her hot bat with another RBI double and DiMaggio, after a wild pitch moved Angiolillo to third, drove her across with an infield out. They took a 7-0 lead with five runs in the third inning.  The big blow, a two-run home run came off the bat of freshman right fielder Amy Hartman (Ellington, Conn.).  Four of the runs in the frame, off Panthers starter Courtney MacFarland (Hampstead. N.H.), were unearned.

            WestConn tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 11-0 lead.  Three of the runs came in on a double down the left field line by Angiolillo. Cortney Romyns (Newton, N.J.) improved to 2-0 after allowing two runs on six hits.  She struck out three and walked one.

            The Panthers got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fifth inning when freshman Andrea Pydynkowski (Danvers, Mass.) and junior Heather Bartolo (Derry, N.H.) had back-to-back RBI doubles.

            PSU's next games, slated for Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. against Keene State, have been moved to Keene due to unplayable field conditions in Plymouth. 

(Courtesy of Western Connecticut Sports Information) 

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