Springfield, Mass. - March 27, 2018 - The Springfield College softball team picked up a pair of non-conference victories during a doubleheader with Western Connecticut on Tuesday afternoon, as the Pride came back to defeat the Colonials, 8-7, in game one, before taking the second of two games, 3-0.

In game one, Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Rachel Ball (Coventry, R.I.) was 2-for-2 and crossed home three times in the win. In game two, it was the pitching dominance of Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) that fueled the Pride to victory, as she earned her seventh win of the season following a complete-game shutout with four strikeouts.

Next, the Pride will open New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Friday, March 30 when Springfield College travels to WPI for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. 

Springfield College 8, Western Connecticut 7 -- Game One

Springfield College used a pair of RBI from Kirsten Drobiak (Griswold, Conn.) and Yaixsa Vargas (Waterbury, Conn.) to come from behind and defeat Western Connecticut, 8-7, in the first of two games featured in the non-conference doubleheader.

Freshman pitcher Taylor Mancinone (Watertown, Conn.) earned her second-career win as she came on in relief and pitched 2.0 innings, giving up three hits, while Marisa Valenti (Trumbull, Conn.) was credited with her first save of the season. Shelby Allen (Oakland, N.J.) started the game for the Pride and pitched 4.0 innings, giving up four hits, four earned runs but also fanned four Colonials' batters.

Western Connecticut picked up a run via base on balls in the top of the first inning, before adding a pair in the top of the second on a two-run single from Natalia Hart (Milford, Conn.). From there, the Colonials would tack on a fourth run in the top of the third when Reilly McMahon (South Windsor, Conn.) crossed home on a groundout.

Springfield College got a pair back in the bottom of the third on back-to-back RBI from Drobiak and Allie Wheeler (Agawam, Mass.), before taking a two-run lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from Vargas.

Western Connecticut responded with a three-run top of the sixth inning, but the Pride answered when Drobiak hit a sacrifice fly to center with the bases loaded, scoring Kayla Padroff (Southington, Conn.) from third, before Ball scored on a passed ball, a run which proved to be the game winner.

Springfield College 3, Western Connecticut 0 -- Game Two

Loda pitched a complete-game shoutout and held the Colonials to just six hits while also striking out four en route to the Pride's second win of the day, a 3-0 result over Western Connecticut to complete the doubleheader sweep. Vargas went 2-for-3 in the win with an RBI, while Meghan Sastram (Oxford, Conn.) also drove in one run on the afternoon.

Springfield College was silenced early by Western Connecticut starter, Sara Tenke (Glen Cove, N.Y.), as the sophomore had a two-hitter going into the bottom of the fifth, where the Pride was able to break open the score, benefitting from an RBI double off the bat of Vargas, before Sastram grounded out to short, allowing Wheeler to come home from third. Springfield College capped the frame when Vargas came in to score on a wild pitch, providing the hosts with some insurance in the late stages of the contest.

From there, Loda locked in and was able to force the last six outs to solidify the win.