Springfield, Mass. — April 6, 2012 — The Springfield College softball, behind the pitching of sophomore right-handers Ashley Marino and Jen Joseph, defeated WPI this afternoon, 9-1 in five innings and 8-3, in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference doubleheader at SC’s Potter Field. In game #2, Breann Joyce hit two home runs for the Pride.The wins allowed Springfield to raise its record to 11-8 overall and 4-2 in the conference. WPI falls to 16-10 overall and 5-3 in the league.

In game #1, the Pride scored two runs in the first inning, five in the second, and added two more in the third.

The Engineers scored once in the fourth on a lead-off solo home run to left by sophomore catcher Juliana Fekete (Belgrade, Me.).

SC was led in the pitching department by sophomore Ashley Marino (Harrison, N.Y.), who gave up one run on two hits in four innings of work. Freshman Caisie Cadorette (Dartmouth, Mass.) pitched a scoreless fifth inning to wrap it up for the Pride, although there was some excitement in that frame. With one out, SC junior shortstop Kelly Blake (Watertown, Conn.) relayed a throw from sophomore centerfielder Christina Leader (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) to freshman catcher Caitie Holik (South Windsor, Conn.) to throw out a WPI runner at the plate and maintain SC’s eight-run lead. WPI junior left-fielder Janelle MacLaughlin (Lancaster, Mass.) had doubled.

Springfield had opened up the first with two runs on an RBI single by Blake and an RBI ground-out by junior first baseman Breann Joyce (Trumbull, Conn.).

In the second, Ally Rivelli, a sophomore designated player from North Kingstown, R.I., lined a triple to the fence in right-center, knocking in a pair of runs. Then Kasey Kelly, a senior second baseman from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., immediately followed with a two-run home-run to left, making it 6-0 at the time. A Blake double and Joyce single produced SC’s seventh run and the fifth of the inning.

In the third, Leader hit a two-run single with the bases loaded, giving SC a 9-0 lead at the time.

Marino is now 5-4. For WPI, senior Allie Hardy (West Townsend, Mass.), was the starter and loser.

In game #2, SC again got off to a fast start, scoring two runs each in the first and second. But this time, WPI made it interesting by tallying three in the top of the third. SC would add one in the fifth and three more in the sixth.

Joseph pitched the 7-inning complete game, striking out 10 and walking two. She gave up seven hits and three runs, all earned.

The losing pitcher was senior Erin Flaherty (Stoughton, Mass.). She walked three and struck out two, allowing 11 hits and eight runs, seven of which were earned.

For SC, Joyce collected four hits in four at-bats. She knocked in five runs and scored two more. Leader, Rivelli, and Kelly each had two more hits.

For WPI, freshman third baseman Katie Bumila (Raynham, Mass.) and sophomore shortstop Lauren DiFelice (Achushnet, Mass.) had two hits apiece.

In the first inning, Joyce brought home two runs with a single. In the second inning, it was Leader and Rivelli who knocked in a run each. In the fifth and sixth, Joyce had the big hits with a home run in each inning.

The Engineers produced three runs in the third on RBI singles by Bumila and DiFelice, as well as an RBI ground-out by freshman catcher Erin Beaulieu (Bethany, Conn.).

The Pride will next play two more NEWMAC contests at MIT at 12 noon on Saturday.