PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University struggled to get its offense going against two of the top pitchers in the Little East Conference (LEC) as the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth took both ends of a conference softball double header at D&M Park on Saturday.
The Corsairs' game one starter was in control throughout, surrendering just one hit while tossing a complete game. Plymouth State made its lone hit count, as freshman
Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.) roped an RBI double in the fourth, but PSU was unable to claw back in a 6-1 setback.
Game two didn't offer much relief as the Panthers faced the league's ERA and wins leader, who surrendered just a pair of singles in a 5-0 game.
Prior to the second game, Plymouth State honored its senior class in a brief on-field ceremony:
Rachyl Parslow (Temple, N.H.),
Emily Picard (Berlin, N.H.),
Lauren Archambault (Rehoboth, Mass.),
Abigale McGee (Bozeman, Mont.) and
Sam McCann (Berlin, N.H.).
Plymouth State ends its season with a 13-21 mark (4-12 LEC), while UMass Dartmouth improves to 25-10 (12-4 LEC) and will be the #2 seed for next week's LEC Tournament.
The Basics:
- Game 1: Plymouth State 1, UMass Dartmouth 6
- Game 2: Plymouth State 0, UMass Dartmouth 5
- Plymouth State (13-21, 4-12 LEC)
- UMass Dartmouth (25-10, 12-4 LEC)
How it Happened (Game One):
- Archambault walked and advanced on a wild pitch in the first but was stranded at second.
- UMass Dartmouth used a two-out single to take a 2-0 lead in the second.
- The Corsairs tacked on single runs in the third and fourth innings to extend the margin.
- Freshman Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the inning and raced around the bases to score on Nezuch's double to left center to make it 4-1.
- UMD had runners on second and third with none out in the fifth, but Bessette threw out a runner at the plate as sophomore Kate McGrath (Boston, Mass.) worked out of the jam.
- The visitors added two more runs in the sixth and the Panthers could not rally late.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Nezuch finished 1-for-3 with the RBI double.
- Sophomore Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine), Archambault and Bessette all worked walks.
- McGrath struck out three over the first five innings but was saddled with the loss.
- Junior Alyssa Wilson (Haverhill, Mass.) worked the last two innings.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- UMass Dartmouth had four hits in a two-run second to get out to an early lead.
- Sophomore Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) singled to start the bottom of the frame and with one out classmate Caroline Macri (Burlington, Mass.) drew a walk, but the Corsairs escaped with the lead intact.
- The visitors added unearned runs in the third and fourth to push the margin to 4-0.
- Freshman Keelie Wells (Milford, N.H.) poked a two-out single to right in the fourth, but Macri's hot shot was snared by the second baseman.
- The Corsairs used a leadoff triple and sac fly to make it 5-0 in the fifth.
- An error and walk gave PSU a pair of baserunners in the bottom half, but again the big hit escaped the Panthers.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Wells went 1-for-2 with a walk to reach base twice.
- Pelletier added a 1-for-3 effort.
- The Panthers drew four walks in the contest.
- Freshman Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) surrendered five runs, four earned, over five innings, while McCann closed out the game with a pair of scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
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