Springfield, Mass. - April 5, 2022 - The Springfield College softball program cruised to a 10-1 win in six innings, before taking a second game loss to Western New England to split the non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. 

Springfield improves to 16-4 on the season and will travel to Clark on Friday for a NEWMAC doubleheader starting at 3:00. 

Springfield 10, Western New England 1

Kristen Acocella (Redding, Conn.) homered twice to lead Springfield's offensive effort of 14 hits, while Gillian Kane (New Canaan, Conn.) threw all six innings and only gave up four hits, one run, and tallied four strikeouts. 

Springfield wasted no time getting the bats going as Mackenzie Doyle (Gloucester, R.I.) ripped off a leadoff double in the first, and eventually came around after Sam Witmer (Drexel hill, Pa.) put a ball in play to the infield to take a 1-0 lead. The Pride did most of its damage in the third inning as Springfield tallied five hits and five runs. Alli Olsen (Ridegwood, N.J.) contributed an RBI double, while Acocella punched a two-run shot, before Marissa Seyfert (Farmingdale, N.Y.) ripped an RBI single up the middle to build up a 6-0 lead for the Pride. 

The Springfield lead grew to 8-0 in the top of the fifth after a Kayla Stvan (Parlin, N.J.) double scored a run and Doyle produced her fourth hit of the afternoon with a single to left that scored another Springfield run. Western New England dipped into the Pride lead in the bottom of the frame after a double from Ferriouolo set up an RBI hit for Rizzo. Springfield finished off the first game in the next inning as Acocella sent another home run to left field to cap off the 10-1 victory. 

Western New England 5, Springfield 1

The Golden Bears earn its first run of the game in the bottom of the first as Ferriouolo was walked with the bases loaded to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Emily Gell (Trumbull, Conn.) got out of the inning with a line out and finished off the inning with a strikeout. Springfield wouldnt tie the game until the top of the fourth as Ava Fernandez (Cedar Grove, N.J.) skated a double down the left field line to get in scoring position for Maggie Britt (Bridgeport, Conn.), who brought in Fernandez with a double to center field that tied the game at 1-1. 

Western New England earned a slight edge in the bottom of the fourth with a RBI single to go back up 2-1. The Golden Bears received three runs in the fifth after a pair of errors in the infield advanced runners and allowed the hosts to take a 5-1 lead. Springfield got hits in the the sixth and seventh, however, could not overcome the Western New England lead.