WESTON, Mass. – Regis College received timely hitting in the first game as well as timely defense in both contests, sweeping Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 4-2 and 3-2, Wednesday night in a non-conference collegiate softball doubleheader at the Regis Softball Field.
REGIS 4, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 2
With Regis down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Kayla Morrill (Lynn, Mass.) led off with a single, and the hustle by pinch runner Lexi Nichols (Granby, Conn.) on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Fawcett (Londonderry, N.H.) forced a bad throw that eventually put runners on second and third.
Reilly Jewett (Norton, Mass.) laced a double to center field that drove in Nichols and pinch runner Sarah Monahan (North Andover, Mass.). With one out, Madison Smith (Malden, Mass.) hit her first career home run over the fence in center field to increase the Pride lead to 4-2.
Regis pitcher Colby Butterfield (Gilford, N.H.) retired the first two Buccaneer batters in the top of the seventh before a walk and a double put runners on second and third. Butterfield settled down and struck out the Mass Maritime batter to end the game in the Pride's favor.
Butterfield earned her first collegiate complete game victory, allowing just four hits, one walk, and two runs while striking out six batters. She threw 80 pitches, 58 of them for strikes, as she retired 19 Buccaneer hitters in order.
Mass Maritime scored in the top of the first inning as Abby Pope led off with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a groundout by Camryn Roberts-Capak, and came around to score on a single by Malarie Pittsley, who advanced to second on the throw home. Kylie Deasy followed with a double that drove in Pittsley and gave the Buccaneers a 2-0 lead.
The Pride loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning on walks by Morrill and Jewett sandwiched around a double by Fawcett. After one forceout at the plate, Jaylene Deslauriers (Taunton, Mass.) drove in Fawcett with a groundout to cut the Regis deficit in half.
REGIS 3, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 2
Regis maintained the momentum at the start of the second game as Abby Erickson (Worcester, Mass.) led off with a single and Andria Braga (Rehoboth, Mass.) hit a one-out double. Morrill drove in Erickson with a sacrifice fly, Fawcett followed with a walk to put runners on first and third, and Smith brought home Braga with a single to left field.
The Pride added a run in the second inning when Monahan led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bianca Burke (Cambridge, Mass.), and came around to score on a double by Erin Murphy (Bedford, N.H.). The Buccaneers threatened to score in the third inning thanks to consecutive singles by Maia Ostromecki and Mikayla Hunter, but Regis pitcher Alyssa Ward (Webster, Mass.) retired the next three batters in order to maintain the 3-0 Pride lead.
Mass Maritime took advantage of two Regis errors in the fifth inning to eventually load the bases with two outs, but Ward induced a popout to end the scoring threat. With two outs in the sixth inning, the Buccaneers finally broke through on consecutive doubles by Carleen Harring and Sicily DiDomenico, with Ostromecki adding an RBI single to bring the visitors within one at 3-2.
Olivia Camelo led off the seventh inning with a single, followed by a Regis error and a single by Pittsley to load the bases with one out. Deasy hit a line drive right to Braga at third base, and Braga dove to tag Camelo for the game-ending double play.
Ward picked up her first victory of the season, allowing seven hits, one walk, and two runs with two strikeouts during the game. The senior threw 89 pitches, 64 of them for strikes, as she stranded eight Buccaneer runners on base to secure the win.
Regis College (3-10) opens conference play against Anna Maria College with a doubleheader Friday, April 1, starting at 4 p.m. Massachusetts Maritime (3-13) also begins its league schedule at Framingham State Saturday, April 2, with the twinbill set to start at 1 p.m.