New Britain, Conn. - March 31, 2015 - The Springfield College softball team dropped two non-conference games versus Western Connecticut State University on Tuesday evening. Due to the field conditions at Western Connecticut, the game had to be played at Central Connecticut State University.

With the loss, the Pride drop to 4-10 on the season, but remain at an unbeaten 2-0 in conference play.  Springfield will pick up play tomorrow afternoon against WPI in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference double header.  The contests will be held at WPI, with Springfield designated as the home team.  The games are slated for 4:00pm and 6:00pm starts.

Western Connecticut State 2, Springfield 1

Western Connecticut scored early on to set the tone in the Colonials favor.  In the bottom of the first, Michaela Roche (Bristol, Conn.) knocked a ball to short, which allowed Jenna Gaudioso (East Haven, Conn.) to score from third base, giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage.

The Pride were able to reply in the top of the second with a double into left center off the bat of Alicia Pavadore (Taunton, Mass.). Standout junior  Jenna Webb (Harrison, N.Y.) was able to come around to score to push the game to a tie, 1-1.

Springfield looked to threaten in the top of the seventh but came up just short.  After a double to right center from Elizabeth Joseph (Stamford, Conn.), Pavadore cracked a single into right field to put runners on the corners with two outs.  The rally was silenced with a ground out back to the pitcher.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh Western's Nina Wojtkiewicz (Griswold, Conn.) blasted a homerun to left center to end the game 2-1 in Western's favor.

Camdyn Morgillo (West Haven, Conn.) suffered the loss for the Pride. The sophomore provided a solid outing in what proved to be a pitchers duel, as she only surrendered six hits for two runs, striking out two batters.

Pavadore led the offense for Springfield, as she polished two hits in three at-bats.  Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.), Mackenzie Navarro (Taunton, Mass.), Webb and Joseph also provided hits for the Pride.

Western Connecticut State 9, Springfield 1 (5 innings)

Wojtkiewicz provided another big blow for the Colonials as the senior led off in the bottom of the first with a blast to center field.  Teammate Erin Weber would follow her lead with an RBI sacrifice fly to put Western up 2-0 in the bottom of the first.

Western kept things moving, scoring off another homerun in the second and adding four runs on the bottom half of the third.

After Western's Kristen Sliman's (Brewster, N.Y.) homerun in the fourth, Springfield would respond with a run of its own in the top part of the fifth.  With the bases loaded, Kirsten Drobiak (Jewett City, Conn.) was able to put the ball into play to allow the runners to advance, which allowed Rachel Ball (Coventry, R.I.) to cross home plate.  The run kept the game alive at 8-1.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Colonials responded with a run of its own off of a wild pitch.  Julia Bocek (Southington, Conn.) came in to score from third, ending the game with a score of 9-1.

Morgillo was credited with the loss, as she allowed one hit and two runs in her 1.2 innings pitched.

Nelson continued to produce hits for the Pride, as the junior went 2-for-3.  Drobiak and Ball also chipped in with a hit a piece.