MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME SOFTBALL

Friday, April 3, 2015

Alison Rollins Field, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

GAME #1 FINAL:          FITCHBURG STATE 16, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 0 (5 INNINGS)

GAME #2 FINAL:          FITCHBURG STATE 10, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 5 (5 INNINGS-RAIN)

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Junior Marissa Gemma (Leominster, Mass.) rapped out three hits, including a three-run double that highlighted a seven-run fourth inning rally, to lead Fitchburg State to a rain-shortened, come-from-behind 10-5 nightcap victory over Massachusetts Maritime and complete a sweep of a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader played Friday afternoon at Alison Rollins Field.  The Falcons received a pair of hits and two RBI each from junior Brianna Uga (Everett, Mass.) and freshman Emily Comtois (Windham, N.H.) in notching a 16-0 opening game triumph.

The visiting Falcons (8-5, 3-1 MASCAC) jumped out to a 2-0 second inning lead in the nightcap on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Jessalynne Brown (Malden, Mass.) and a wild pitch, but the host Buccaneers (0-4, 0-4 MASCAC) evened matters in the bottom of the second on a two-run double off the bat of junior Brittany Driscoll (Spencer, Mass.).  Fitchburg State regained a 3-2 lead in the third on an RBI single by senior Katelyn Fitzgerald (Fitchburg, Mass.), but Massachusetts Maritime took a 4-3 advantage in the bottom of the frame on a run-scoring single by sophomore Cassidy Nice (Carver, Mass.) and a wild pitch.  The visitors took control of the second contest with their seven run outburst, as Gemma’s bases clearing double followed a go-ahead two-run single off the bat of freshman Jill Schultze (Winchendon, Mass.), and after the hosts pulled back to within five on freshman Sarah Monteiro’s (North Falmouth, Mass.) fielder’s choice groundout in the bottom of the inning, rain halted the proceedings after five frames and gave the Falcons their sweep.

Schultze added two hits as part of a 10-hit nightcap attack for Fitchburg State, as sophomore Galen Kerr (Concord, Mass.) allowed a hit and fanned three in 2 1/3 innings of relief work to pick up her second win of the day and fifth of the season for the Falcons.  Freshman Emily Bacchiocchi (Wareham, Mass.) rapped out two of Massachusetts Maritime’s six hits in the second game setback, as the Buccaneers also received hits from freshmen Alexis Jendzejec (West Greenwich, R.I.) and Elizabeth Bramhall (Plymouth, Mass.).  Nice went the distance inside the circle for the Buccaneers, striking out one to fall to 0-2 on the spring.

Fitchburg State used a six-run rally in its first at-bat to take control of the opening contest, and the Falcons iced their triumph with an eight-run fourth inning uprising highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Uga, who joined Gemma and Contois with two hits each as part of an 11-hit attack for the visitors.  Kerr scattered three hits and struck out nine inside the circle for Fitchburg State to pick up her fourth triumph and first of two on the afternoon.  Bramhall, Monteiro and senior Meghan Weir (North Andover, Mass.) singled in the opening game setback for Massachusetts Maritime, as freshman Carli Thomas (Brewster, Mass.) went the distance in falling to 0-2 for the Buccaneers.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Becker in a non-league doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Alison Rollins Field beginning at 3:30 p.m., while Fitchburg State hosts Regis in a non-league twinbill on Wednesday afternoon in Fitchburg, Mass. that begins at 3:00 p.m.