Fitchburg State Takes Two In Day Two Tripleheader

Falcons down St. Scholastica and Philadelphia Biblical; fall to Knox

CLERMONT, FLA. (March 15, 2011) – The Fitchburg State softball team registered a pair of victories this afternoon as the Falcons battled in a tripleheader with St. Scholastica College, Philadelphia Biblical and Knox University.

Fitchburg State 5, St. Scholastica 2

Fitchburg State posted its first victory of the afternoon in convincing fashion, notching a 5-2 win over St. Scholastica. In game one, Fitchburg State received another strong pitching effort from senior Nicole Monroe (Pepperell, Mass./North Middlesex) who held the Saints to only two runs over 4.1 innings of work. Monroe allowed only two hits on the afternoon and struck out three, while junior Allison Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) earned her first save of the season with 2.2 innings of shutout work.

Senior Karen Skoczylas (Palmer, Mass./Palmer) paced the Falcons offensively in game one, totaling a pair of hits, including a double and two RBI, while freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Blackstone, Mass./Blackstone Regional) added an RBI double. Sophomore Kelly Bourgea (Malden, Mass./Malden) chipped in with a triple.

After opening the game with a single run in the first inning, Fitchburg State exploded for three runs in the second frame to post an early 4-0 advantage. Senior Lauren Donell (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) sparked the Falcons second inning rally with a leadoff double, before Skoczylas and Fitzgerald generated back-to-back run-scoring hits.

The Falcons added its fifth a final run in the third stanza Bourega belted a leadoff triple and sophomore Lauren Weitz (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) drove her in with a sacrifice fly.

Fitchburg State 6, Philadelphia Biblical 4

In game two, Fitchburg State kept its strong offense rolling, posting eight hits and six runs for a 6-4 victory.

Skoczylas was solid again for the Falcons, registering a pair of singles and one run scored, while freshman Jessica Drago (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) added a single, double and two RBI.

Trailing 4-0 after the first two innings, Fitchburg State rallied back posting six unanswered runs over the fourth and fifth frames. Monroe started the inning with a walk before Drago and classmate Emily Pomer (Groveland, Mass./Whittier Regional) registered back-to-back doubles to plate a pair. Sophomore Briana Kewley (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) then laced an RBI single scoring Pomer before sophomore Alycia McGrail (N. Brookfield, Mass./N. Brookfield) scored on an Eagle error.

In the fifth, Fitchburg State took its first lead of the contest, as its first two batters reached base. Drago then stepped into the box and belted a two-run single to lift the Falcons to their second victory of the day.

Freshman Nancy Henry (Forestdale, Mass./Sandwich) earned her first collegiate victory, hurling a complete game, five-hitter. Henry was strong in the circle for the Falcons, totaling eight strikeouts and only two walks, while holding the Eagles to just the four early runs.

Knox 5, Fitchburg State 3

In the final contest of the day, Fitchburg State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead but surrendered five runs in the next two innings to suffer its first loss of the afternoon.

Wadman led the Falcons game three offense, hitting 3-for-4 with a trio of singles and one run scored, while Bourgea finished the contest with a pair of singles. Drago suffered the loss on the rubber for the Falcons, allowing five runs on five hits in 4.0 innings pitched. Cousins was solid in a three inning relief effort, totaling one strikeout without yielding a hit.

Fitchburg State (3-2, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow as it competes in a doubleheader with Knox and Macalester starting at 11:30 a.m.