Springfield, Mass. - April 13, 2018 - The Springfield College softball team cruised to a doubleheader sweep of Clark in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Friday afternoon at Potter Field.

With the wins, the Pride is now 18-6 overall with a 6-4 mark in league play, while the Cougars are now 5-17 on the year with a 1-11 record against conference opponents.

Springfield College will continue league play on Saturday, April 14 as the Pride heads to Cambridge, Mass. for two with MIT. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. 

Springfield College 9, Clark 0 -- Game One (Final - 5 Innings)

Senior pitcher Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) picked up her ninth win of the season as she pitched 4.0 innings, giving up just one hit while striking out six, before Marisa Valenti (Trumbull, Conn.) came on to get the final three outs, including fanning one Clark batter.

Offensively, Kirsten Drobiak (Griswold, Conn.) went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Yaixsa Vargas (Waterbury, Conn.) was 1-for-2 with two RBI as well. Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) finished with a pair of hits and two runs scored, while Allie Wheeler (Agawam, Mass.) went 2-for-3 in the win.

Springfield College jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Vargas lined out to left field, but Loda was able to tag up and cross home. The Pride added a pair in the bottom of the third inning as Gasdia got into scoring position, before Drobiak doubled to right center to score the senior. Later in the inning, Alexyss Conley (Bloomingburg, N.Y.) would single to third base, plating Drobiak to make it 3-0, Springfield.

The Pride poured on six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to push its lead to nine, as Gasdia reached on a bunt single that scored Rachel Ball (Coventry, R.I.), before Drobiak doubled to right to score Gasdia once again. From there, Vargas doubled down the left-field line to score Drobiak, before Conley reached on an error allowing Vargas to cross home. Wrapping up the rally, Gabby Alfieri (Cornwall, N.Y.) doubled to right to plate Conley, making it 9-0.

Coming back out in the top of the fifth, Valenti came on and picked up the final three outs to seal the victory.

Springfield College 5, Clark 2 -- Game Two 

Junior pitcher Shelby Allen (Oakland, N.J.) was dominant in the circle in game two as she held the Cougars to just three hits and one run over 5.2 innings, while striking out nine en route to her seventh win of the season. Valenti came on in relief and picked up the final four outs for the Pride.

Vargas notched her first home run in maroon and white and went 1-for-3 in the win, while Drobiak also had a pair of RBI in the win.

Springfield College got on the board first, but it took until the bottom of the fifth when Drobiak doubled to left center, plating Gasdia and Meghan Sastram (Oxford, Conn.), before Vargas notched her first-career home run over the left-field fence, a two-run shot that gave the Pride a 4-0 lead. 

Clark got one back in the top of the sixth when Francesca Cocca (Tewksbury, Mass.) drew a walk to push Jessica Urella (North Grafton, Mass.) home, but Sastram would score an unearned run when Kayla Padroff (Southington, Conn.) reached on an error in the bottom of the sixt.

Clark added another in the top of the seventh when Urella singled down the left-field line to score Christina Kopacz (North Grosvenordale, Conn.), but the rally fell short resulting in a 5-2 win for Springfield College.