Gardner, Colbert Collect Two Hits Each As Softball Drops MASCAC Twinbill Decision To Fitchburg State

MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME SOFTBALL

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Alison Rollins Field, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

GAME #1 FINAL:          FITCHBURG STATE 9, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 1 (6 INNINGS)

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

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Senior Tori Cyrus (Everett, Mass.) rapped out five hits and drove in eight runs to lead Fitchburg State to a sweep of a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader by scores of 9-1 in the six inning opener and 10-2 in a five inning nightcap in games played Saturday afternoon at Alison Rollins Field.

Cyrus paced a 13-hit attack with three hits, including a double, in the opening game triumph for the visiting Falcons (6-10, 2-2 MASCAC), who scored at least one run in all six innings of action.  Junior Emily Comtois (Windham, N.H.) added a two-run single for Fitchburg State, which also received two hits each from sophomore Damari Grossi (Medford, Mass.) and freshman McKenzie Lambert (East Longmeadow, Mass.).  Freshman Emma Campbell (Manchester, N.H.) earned her first collegiate victory inside the circle in the lid-lifter for the visitors, as she scattered three hits and helped her own cause at the plate with a pair of singles.  Junior Kaylene Murphy (Randolph, Mass.) drove in the lone run of the opener for the host Buccaneers (2-4, 0-2 MASCAC) with a third inning RBI single, as sophomores Rachel Gardner (Bourne, Mass.) and Serena Colbert (Plymouth, Mass.) also collected singles in the setback.  Freshman Melissa Cochrane (Walpole, Mass.) went the distance inside the circle for Massachusetts Maritime, as she fanned one in falling to 1-3 on the spring.

The Falcons jumped out to a 4-0 second inning lead in the nightcap on the strength of three RBI from Cyrus, but the Buccaneers closed back to within two in the bottom of the frame on a fielder’s choice and an RBI single off the bat of freshman Jenna Nalette (Goffstown, N.H.).  Fitchburg State got that run back in the fourth and iced its triumph with a five-run fifth inning outburst highlighted by Cyrus’s two-run triple, as the visitors received two hits each from Cyrus, Grossi, senior Katie Gildea (Bedford, Mass.) and Nicole Sylvester (Everett, Mass.).  Freshman Mikayla Harnois (Attleboro, Mass.) picked up her first career win inside the circle for the Falcons by scattering four hits and striking out four to complete the sweep.

Gardner, Colbert and freshman Allyson Crowley (Leicester, Mass.) recorded singles in the second game setback for Massachusetts Maritime, as Nalette also added a run-scoring single and went the distance inside the circle for the Buccaneers in allowing five earned runs and striking out one to fall to 1-1 on the season.

Massachusetts Maritime heads to Worcester, Mass. on Sunday afternoon for a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Worcester State that begins at Noon, while Fitchburg State hosts Plymouth State in a non-league twinbill on Wednesday afternoon in Fitchburg, Mass. beginning at 3:30 p.m.

(Photo Credit:  Justin Reidy)