WPI Sweeps Fitchburg State, 5-1/13-0

Falcons fall 5-1 in game one; Drop 13-0 decision in night cap

FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Fitchburg State softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to the Engineers of WPI, suffering a 5-1 setback in the opening contest before dropping the night cap, 13-0 this afternoon at Donna Lee Withington Memorial Softball Field at Coolidge Park.

WPI 5, Fitchburg State 1 (Game 1)

WPI grabbed the lead in the top of the third inning as senior Katie Chagami singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI triple of the bat of sophomore Ama Biney before Biney crossed the plate on a fielding miscue for the 2-0 advantage.

The Engineers upped its margin in the following frame when sophomore Lindsay Gurska tripled right and came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore RiAnna May. Following base hit from Caraline Wood, Chagami and junior Kristin Gallagher  connected on back-to-back double that plated Wood and Chagami to make the score 5-0.

Fitchburg State threated in the bottom of the seventh as senior Tori Cyrus and freshman Kaylee Sylvestre posted back-to-back singles, while senior Marissa Gemma laced a run scoring single to left to score Cyrus. The Falcons proceeded to load the bases on a walk from newcomer Maddie Medina but sophomore hurler Casey Arpin induced a ground out to end the contest, resulting in the 5-1 final.

Gemma paced the Green and Gold, going 2-for-4 with a run an RBI and one stolen base, while Sylvestre added a pair hits for the Falcons. For WPI, Chagami led the way, hitting 2-for-3 with double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Biney added to the mix with triple, one run scored and a run batted in for the Engineers.

In the circle, Sylvestre went the distance for Fitchburg State, allowing five runs (4 earned) on eight hits and one K, while senior Clare Doolin picked up the win for the Engineers, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts in six innings of work.

WPI 13, Fitchburg State 0 (Game 2)

In the night cap, WPI received a stellar outing from sophomore Kelsey Saucier, who pitched a complete game no-hitter for the Crimson and Grey, allowing just two walks with 8 K's as Saucier became the first Engineers pitcher to record a no-hitter since junior hurler Caroline Medino pitched a perfect game in April of 2014.

For Fitchburg State, sophomore Jill Schultze and junior Kelsea LeBlanc drew one walk each for the Green and Gold, while sophomore Julia Veitch finished 3-for-4 at the dish with double, three RBI and two runs score, while Biney hit 3-for-4 with two RBI and run scored.

WPI took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when sophomore Nina Murphy-Cook singled, advanced to second on ground out before Murphy-Cook scored on a fielding miscue, following a single by Biney.

The Engineers did most of their damage in the top of the third, plating ten runs on 11 hits as Veitch blasted a bases clearing double to score Gurska, May and sophomore Natalie Fabrizio before Chagami connected on a two-run single to right that plated Doolin and May to make the score 11-0.

The visitors capped the scoring in the top of the fifth when May singled, moved to second on a base hit from Veitch, while Gallagher plated both May and Veitch  on a two-out single to center field, resulting in the 13-0 final.

Fitchburg State (6-6, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action next Thursday as it visits the Pride of Regis College for double header starting at 5 p.m. WPI (10-2, 0-0 NEWMAC) will host the Owls of Westfield State University on Friday for a twin billing, starting at 3:30 p.m.

Follow the Falcons on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!