Amherst, Mass. – April 12, 2023 – For the first time since the 2003 campaign, the Springfield College softball team swept Amherst College in a non-conference doubleheader this afternoon. With the wins, the Pride upped its winning streak to 14 and improved its record to 23-3 overall.

Springfield won the opener 6-3, before the Pride held off a late rally from Amherst, 7-6, in the nightcap.

Game One:

With the score even at 3-3 in the top of the fifth inning, Kristen Acocella (Redding, Conn.) came to bat as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded. The count was even at 2-2 with two outs in the frame before she cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center that plated Alli Olsen (Ridgewood, N.J.), Breannah McCann (San Diego, Calif.) and Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) for the 6-3 advantage.

Emily Gell (Trumbull, Conn.), who came on in relief after four, earned the win as she shutdown the Amherst bats over the final three innings of the opener. Gell (3-1) surrendered just one hit and struck out three en route to the 6-3 victory.

Earlier in the contest, Springfield gave up one run in the bottom of the first without the benefit of an Amherst hit, but quickly struck back for three in the top of the second on a single by Maggie Britt (Bridgeport, Conn.) and a two-run knock by Carissa Pecchia (Mamaroneck, N.Y.).

Game Two:

The Pride once again trailed early (2-0) through three innings, but Springfield took advantage of a two-out error by Amherst and turned it into five runs. With runners on second and third, Britt grounded out to score Ava Rainone (White Plains, N.Y.). In the next at-bat, the Amherst right fielder dropped what would have been out number three of the inning, allowing the frame to continue with two runners on.

Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) knocked in two with a double to center that nearly left the yard and Pecchia plated DeRosa on a single down the right field line for the 5-2 edge. Amherst answered right back with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, but both teams tallied solo runs in the sixth and the seventh to account for the 7-6 final.

RBI doubles by both DeRosa and Olsen in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, gave Springfield a two-run cushion each time. Amherst, however, answered on both occasions. In the bottom of the seventh and with Gillian Kane (New Canaan, Conn.) still in the circle for Springfield, the Mammoths had the winning run on second base following an RBI double to center, but the graduate student got Dylan Briggs to fly out to right ending the contest and securing the two game sweep for Springfield.

Kane improved to 8-1 in the circle for Springfield as she tossed a complete game and struck out five.

Springfield will continues its road swing on Friday, April 14 with a NEWMAC doubleheader at Smith College beginning at 3:00 pm.

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