Worcester, Mass. – March 28, 2014 - Jenna Webb (Harrison, N.Y.) hit her first homerun of the season on Friday to lead the Springfield College softball team, despite a 9-4 loss to host WPI in the first New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game of the season.

Springfield falls to 7-3 on the season and 0-1 in the NEWMAC while WPI improves to 8-5 on the year and earned its first NEWMAC match up (1-2).

Webb’s two-run homer came with two outs in the inning and put the Pride up 2-0 in the top of the first, scoring Christina Leader (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) who opened the game with a lead-off walk.

Springfield scored again in the third, as Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) got on base on a double to left center and scored on an error. The Pride built up a 4-0 advantage in the top of the fourth as Leader hit an RBI double to left center, scoring Simone Morin (Plantsville, Conn.).

WPI scored all of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Juliana Fekete (Belgrad, Maine) was responsible for a grand slam during a six-run fifth inning. The Engineers scored three times in the fourth.

Jennifer Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) went all six innings on the mound for Springfield, striking out six. Webb and Nelson both went 2-for-4 from the plate to lead the Pride.

The second game of a scheduled doubleheader was postponed due to an unplayable field.

Springfield is slated to host a doubleheader against Western Connecticut on Tuesday at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.