DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Freshman
Avery Couch (Fort Worth, Texas) had three hits, including a pair of doubles, but the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth got past Plymouth State University to sweep a Little East Conference (LEC) softball double header at UMD Softball Complex on Saturday.
UMass Dartmouth was the beneficiary of a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first of game one and that would prove to be enough as the Panthers' offense was held down. Couch roped one-out, RBI double in the fifth to cut the margin to 2-1 and put runners on second and third, but Plymouth State was unable to push the tying run across as UMD held on for the narrow win.
The Corsairs built a 3-0 lead in game two before junior
Jade Guertin (Oakland, R.I.) knocked in a pair with a base hit in the third. The hosts were able to tack on three more for a 6-2 advantage heading into the seventh inning. Plymouth State attempted to rally, with sophomore
Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) driving in a run to allow the tying run to come to the plate, but after a lengthy battle a grounder to first ended the rally with UMD taking a 6-3 win.
Plymouth State slips to 8-12 (0-4 LEC), while the Corsairs move to 15-7 (3-1 LEC).
The Basics:
- GAME ONE: Plymouth State 1, UMass Dartmouth 2
- GAME TWO: Plymouth State 3, UMass Dartmouth 6
- Plymouth State (8-12, 0-4 LEC)
- UMass Dartmouth (15-7, 3-1 LEC)
How it Happened (Game One):
- Bessette ripped a two-out double in the top of the first but a strikeout ended the inning.
- The Corsairs rallied for a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.
- An error and wild pitch put Guertin on second to start the second but again the big hit escaped the Panthers.
- PSU had a runner thrown out at the plate in the third as the score remained 2-0.
- The Panthers broke through in the fifth. Sophomore Ariana Cray (Merrimack, N.H.) singled and was bunted to second before sophomore Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) worked a walk. Couch followed with a double to right center to cut the deficit to 2-1 and put two runners in scoring position but the Corsairs were able to get out of the jam with the lead intact.
- Guertin reached on an infield hit to start the sixth and was sacrificed to second but again UMD worked out of trouble and PSU went down in order in the seventh.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- K. Bessette and Couch both doubled, while Guertin and Cray had singles to account for the Panthers' four hits.
- Couch and Cray both worked walks to reach base twice.
- Sophomore Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) gave up just the two unearned runs in the first while going the distance. She struck out three and allowed just five hits while throwing just 74 pitches.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- UMass Dartmouth scored twice in the first and added a run in the second for a quick 3-0 lead.
- Junior Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine) and E. Bessette reached to open the third and the pair were sacrificed into scoring position. Guertin came through with a clutch two-out single to score them both and trim the margin to 3-2.
- The hosts answered right back with two in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.) came on in relief to get two key outs with the bases loaded to keep it a three-run deficit.
- Couch dropped a two-out single into centerfield in the fifth but was stranded and the Corsairs tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2.
- With one out in the sixth, junior Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) drew a walk. After a strikeout, Cray smashed a liner headed toward right field, but the UMD second baseman made a leaping grab to snare the screaming liner and end the inning.
- Montelongo beat out an infield hit with one down in the seventh and E. Bessette followed with a walk. An error allowed the runners to advance but UMD got a strikeout for the second out. K. Bessette lined a single to left to pull within 6-3 and bring the tying run to the plate but a ground out ended the rally.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Couch went 2-for-3 with a double, while Montelongo had a pair of base hits in three at bats and scored twice.
- E. Bessette and Ly drew walks and K. Bessette had a stolen base.
- Nezuch and sophomore Celeste Fuccillo (Everett, Mass.) didn't allow an earned run over their 3.2 innings of work. Nezuch struck out two in 2.2 innings, while Fuccillo notched a strikeout in her inning.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State celebrates its home opener on Tuesday (Apr. 16) with an LEC double header against Rhode Island College. First pitch for game one is slated for 3:30 p.m.
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