Springfield, Mass. - March 20, 2021 - Playing in its first home game in 696 days, the Springfield College softball team swept WPI on Saturday to kick off its 2021 season on the newly renovated Diane L. Potter Field in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play. The Pride earned a pair of 4-1 victories on the day and was led in large part by Emily Gell (Trumbull, Conn.), who contributed 3.1 innings of relief in game one before pitching a complete game in game two to help Springfield secure conference victories. At the plate, the first-year went a combined 2-for-5 with a run scored and an important RBI double in game two. 

The sweep marked the first time since 2013 that the Pride took a pair of games from WPI, who entered the season as the reigning NEWMAC Champions.

Springfield will play again on Saturday, April 3 when it travels to take on Wheaton. 

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Game One - Springfield College 4, WPI 1

Anchored by a two-run first inning, Springfield College defeated WPI, 4-1, in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.  Gillian Kane (New Canaan, Conn.) took the circle for the Pride and went 3.2 innings, allowing one run and striking out three. The junior worked out of two jams en route to her first victory of the season. 

After a calm first inning from Kane, Springfield's offense put together three consecutive hits with two outs to plate a pair of runs in the  bottom half. Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.) and Kayla Stvan (Parlin, N.J.) each singled before Breannah McCann (San Diego, Calif.) laced a double into right center field to score her teammates and put Springfield ahead, 2-0. 

After retiring the first WPI two hitters of the second inning, Kane permitted two baserunners before inducing a groundout that Hannah Salvietti (Cheshire, Conn.) scooped up at third base to end the Engineer's threat.  The Pride pushed across another run off an error in the third, before WPI loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, threatening to chip into Springfield's 3-0 lead at the time. The Engineers pushed across one run as the result of a walk, but Kane induced a flyout and groundout to keep the Pride's lead, 3-1.  The Pride tacked on another insurance run in the fourth, off another error as Gell pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief and allowed just two hits. 

WPI led off their half of the seventh with a single. Gell responded by inducing a fielder's choice, then Ava Rainone (White Plains, N.Y.) snagged a liner at first base and touched her bag to complete a game-ending double play.  Gendron, Stvan and McCann each finished 1-for-3, with McCann picking up her first two RBI of the season. 

Game Two - Springfield College 4, WPI 1 

Gell was dominant in the circle as the first-year went the distance and only allowed one run in the 4-1 victory to complete the doubleheaders weep.  The first-year pitched five scoreless innings before giving up a run in the sixth and finished strong with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to shut the door on the Engineers. Gell had two strikeouts in the game, one of which came during a 12 pitch at bat.

In the third, Alli Olsen (Ridgewood, N.J.) and Mackenzie Doyle (Glocester, R.I.) started off the frame with singles before Ava Fernandez (Cedar Grove, N.J.) drove in the Pride's first run.   Springfield did most of its damage offensively in the fourth inning, scoring three more runs. Stvan started things off with a single to right field, one of her two hits on the day.  Both Gell and Olsen followed by knocking in runs to extend the lead for the Pride. Olsen had two hits on the day including a triple, while Abbi Conley (Plymouth, Mass.) nearly left the yard in the sixth with a triple, that just missed clearing the center field wall. 

WPI was able to scratch out a run in the sixth inning when they were able to get a pair of runners on with no outs. However, Gell was able to shut the door for the Engineers allowing only their only run of the game and to get out of the jam.