BENNINGTON, Vt. – Southern Vermont College posted a doubleheader sweep over Regis College in New England Collegiate Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at Willow Park. The Mountaineers took the first game 4-3 before concluding the sweep with a 5-2 victory.
Southern Vermont improves to 6-12 in NECC play, 9-20 overall, and Regis falls to 6-10 in the conference, 10-22 overall.
Southern Vermont jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first contest with RBI singles by sophomore Shelby Jones (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) and freshman Jen Sicinski (Shelton, Conn.), followed by an RBI double off the bat of freshman shortstop Julie Burnley (Scotia, N.Y.).
The Pride answered in the top of the second with an RBI single by freshman Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) to make it 3-1. That score would remain through the next three innings until the Mountaineers tacked on another in the bottom of the fifth on a Burnley sacrifice fly to right, scoring SVC pinch runner Vanessa Ruelas (Paramount, Calif.).
Regis chipped back with a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings, including an RBI single by freshman Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.) to score freshman Alyssa McKinnon (Raynham, Mass.) and cut it to 4-3. That would be as close as the Pride would get, however, as a wild pitch resulted in the Regis runner getting thrown out at third for the final out.
Mountaineer sophomore pitcher Emily Fleming (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) earned the win (4-11) from the circle, pitching 7.0 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out eight. Fountain took the loss (6-9) after giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks; she struck out six in the outing.
Jones finished 3-3 with an RBI and run scored while Burnley was 1-2 with two runs knocked in.
Pride freshman Kirbie Garvey (Littleton, Mass.) was 2-4, and Cuozzo went 1-3 with a run batted in.
The Mountaineers took to the board first in game two when Sicinski scored on a Regis error to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the second. The Pride answered to take the lead in top of the fourth, first with a double by junior Shannon Bradish (Lawrence, Mass.) and then with an RBI single by Garvey. The score would remain 2-1 until Southern Vermont took the lead with a four-run sixth.
A Jones double scored junior center fielder Erika Garay (Walnut, Calif.) before Sincinski singled to score freshman second baseman Rachel Robtoy(Baltic, Conn.). Burnley followed with a two-run double to make it 5-2, a score which would stand through the final stanza for the Mountaineer sweep.
SVC sophomore pitcher Hayley McDonald (Latham, N.Y.) had a great day in the circle, striking out 11 in the complete-game win (5-9). She allowed just two earned runs on eight hits and no walks. Cuozzo took the loss for the Pride (4-11) after giving up the five runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks, striking out three in the effort.
Sicinski went 2-3 with two runs scored and another knocked in, and Burnely was 1-3 with the two RBIs.
Garvey finished the game 3-4 with an RBI for the Pride while freshman Raegan Heck (Phillipston, Mass.) was 2-4 with a run scored.
The Pride wrap up the regular season tomorrow afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against Wheelock College in Weston, Mass. Regis needs a pair of wins to enter into a four-way tie for the final playoff spot.
Release courtesy of Southern Vermont College Sports Information