Springfield, Mass. - April 17, 2016 - The Springfield College softball program split a pair of non-conference games with Eastern Connecticut State University on Sunday afternoon at Potter Field.

The Pride won the first of two, 2-1, before dropping the second in nine innings, 4-3. With the split, Springfield is now 21-11 overall, while Eastern Connecticut is 10-16 on the year.

Up next, Springfield will travel to Westfield State on Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Springfield 2, Eastern Connecticut 1 -- Game One

Sophomore Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) pitched 4.2 innings, gave up just three hits and struck out two, while also delivering an RBI single in the bottom of the second to help lift the Pride to a 2-1 victory over Eastern Connecticut in the first of two games on Sunday afternoon.

Loda improved to 9-6 on the year with th victory, while junior Jordyn Moquin (Plantsville, Conn.) came in to pick up her second save in as many games for the Pride. For the Warriors, Samantha Valentine (Ridge, N.Y.) took the loss, as she pitched 6.0 innings, giving up nine hits and two runs.

The Pride broke open the scoreless tie in the bottom of the second frame, when Kayla Padroff (Southington, Conn.) was hit by a pitch, before a bunt single from Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) pushed her to second. Next up, with runners on first and second, Loda laced a full-count pitch to center, plating Padroff to make it 1-0, Springfield.

The Pride would add an additional run in the bottom of the fifth, when Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) drilled a two-out single up the middle, before Kirsten Drobiak Griswold, Conn.) smoked a ball over the left fielders head, resulting in a double and plating Nelson to push Springfield's lead to a pair.

The Warriors would cut its deficit in half in the top of the sixth, when Samantha Rentz (Griswold, Conn.) dropped a ball into right field, that resulted in a triple for the senior, before she crossed home on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.

Moquin was able to get the final four outs to seal the 2-1 win for the Pride.

Eastern Connecticut 4, Springfield 3 (Nine Innings) -- Game Two

The Pride fell to Eastern Connecticut, 4-3, in the second leg of Sunday's doubleheader, 4-3, in nine innings of play. With the loss, Springfield falls to 21-11 on the year, while the Warriors improved to 10-16 overall.

Summer Cipriani (North Stonington, Conn.) picked up her fifth win of the season, as she went the distance, giving up seven hits and three runs, none of which were earned, while also striking out one. The Pride used a combination of Nicole Cring (Cooperstown, N.Y.), Moquin and Shelby Allen (Oakland, N.J.) in the contest, as Moquin took the loss after going 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and two runs, none of which were earned, while also striking out one.

At the plate, Elizabeth Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) continued to be productive as she went 2-for-4, and has now reached base safely in her last nine games. Additioanlly, Simone Morin (Plantsville, Conn.) went 2-for-3 and Gasdia picked up the Pride's lone RBI.

Springfield opened a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Gasdia reached first on an error by the third baseman, allowing Dani Gray (Milford, Conn.) and Morin to score and make it 2-0, before Eastern Connecticut evened the score in the top of the third with a two-run double off the bat of Kristyn Ryan (Barkhamsted, Conn.).

In the top of the ninth, the Warriors tacked on two more when Danielle Robillard (Swansea, Mass.) reached first on an error, allowing Jessica Seymour (Barkhamsted, Conn.) to score, before Valentine smoked a double to left center, plating Robillard to make it 4-2.

Springfield was able to push a run across in the bottom half of the inning to cut its deficit to one, but Cipriani got out of the jam and sealed the win for the visitors.