Danbury, Conn. – April 8, 2013 – Ashley Marino tossed a four-hit shutout in the nightcap to help the Springfield College softball team salvage a non-conference split at Western Connecticut on Monday afternoon. The Colonials edged the Pride, 2-1, in the opener before Springfield cruised to a 6-0 victory.

Marino, who was perfect through the first five innings, powered the Pride to the win as it improved to 11-13 on the season.

In the opener, freshman Alexandra Sabith pitched a complete game for Western, giving up only a single unearned run in the third inning.

Springfield starter, Jennifer Joseph got off to a strong start by facing the minimum number of batters in the first two innings and striking out the first four Colonials. Breann Joyce drove in the game’s first run with a single to left in the third, only to have Western tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the third on a two-out double by sophomore Nina Wojtkiewicz that scored pinch-runner sophomore Christine Bighinatti.

Western scored the only other run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when pinch-hitter junior Kylee Ruther drilled a two-out double to the gap in left-center for a 2-1 Colonial lead.

In the top of the seventh, Springfield put runners on first and second with only one out, but Sabith struck out the next Springfield batter and got the gameÂ's final out on a grounder to second.

Both Joyce and Brielle Engelbrecht had two hits in the loss, while Joseph gave up two earned on six hits while fanning five.

In game two, the story was Marino who started the game with back to back strikeouts. The first fifteen Western batters would go down in order before freshman Michaela Roche drilled a solid single to right-center leading off the bottom of the sixth inning.

Springfield finished the contest with just six hits, but was able to score six runs en route to the shutout win. Caitie Holik had two hits, as did Jenna Webb, who along with Sam Rentz had two RBI in the game.

Webb drove in one of Springfield’s three runs in the first, and blasted her team-leading fourth round tripper in the third to put the Pride up 4-0. Springfield tacked on two more runs in the sixth, as Rentz crushed a double with runners on the corners to make it a 6-0 contest.

In the bottom of the seventh, Western mounted its biggest threat by loading the bases with only one out. Junior Jessica Caturano led off with a double in the gap in left- center and moved to third on a single by sophomore Julia Bocek. Ruther walked to load the bases, but a short fly to right and a grounder to second ended the inning and the game, giving Springfield College a 6-0 victory and a split on the dayÂ's games.

Springfield will continue non-conference play on Tuesday afternoon when it travels to play MCLA at 3:30 pm.