Springfield, Mass. – April 29, 2023 – The Springfield College softball team capped its 2023 regular season with a two game New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) sweep at home over Wheaton College by scores of 10-4 and 10-2 to complete league play with a 14-4 record.

Springfield, which finished its regular season slate with the second-most regular season wins (33-7) in program history only behind the 34 of the 2001 team, will now await seeding for the upcoming NEWMAC Tournament. Today, the Pride also matched the most conference wins in a single season with the 2001 and 2008 teams that produced 14 league victories.

In addition to the team accomplishments today, both first-year Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) and junior Alli Olsen (Ridgewood, N.J.) broke individual season records against Wheaton. DeRosa broke Alison Gerrish's single season hits record from 2002 and now has 75 on the year, while Olsen topped Jill Roach's single season sacrifice hits record from 2003 and now has 20 in 2023.

DeRosa's 75 hits this year through 40 games are the most a first-year has tallied in Division III softball since Patty Ohaninan from Christopher Newport University posted 75 in 47 games during the 2018 campaign. Additionally, with five hits in the upcoming NEWMAC Tournament, DeRosa will become the only first-year in Division III softball history to ever reach 80 hits in a single season.

Game One:

Springfield's runs early in the contest came on an infield RBI single by Michaela Ponticello (Gloversville, N.Y.) in the first as well as an RBI single by DeRosa and an RBI double by Pecchia in the second as the Pride held a 3-1 edge through two.

Tied at 3-3, Springfield erupted for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth for a 9-3 advantage. Maggie Britt (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Dana Serricchio (Stamford, Conn.) began the inning with singles before an error by the pitcher plated both runners. Later in the inning, Olsen, Carissa Pecchia (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) and Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.) all registered RBI singles to account for Springfield's outburst.

The Pride scored their tenth run of the game in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single to right from Serricchio. Emily Gell (Trumbull, Conn.) came into pitch the top of the seventh and shut Wheaton down to secure the game one win for the Pride.

Gillian Kane (New Canaan, Conn.) was credited with the win (12-4) as she tossed six innings, allowed nine hits and four run in addition to two strikeouts in the opener.

Game Two:

Springfield's offense once again struck for ten runs in the second game of the day, eight of which came in the bottom of the first, to match its output from game one.

The Pride quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the first on a pair of singles by Mackenzie Doyle (Glocester, R.I.) and DeRosa as well as a walk by Pecchia. Gendron was credited with an RBI as she walked after working a full count with the bases full. Kristen Acocella (Redding, Conn.) plated two runs on a double to left center, Britt ripped an RBI single to right, Serricchio lined a two-run single to center and scored on an error and DeRosa lined an RBI double to left center to cap the scoring for the Pride.

Wheaton got its runs on solo home runs in the top of the fourth and top of the fifth, but with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth Springfield answered as Britt scored on a fielder's choice to make the score 9-2.

Springfield needed just one run to end the game in the sixth and got just that on a lead-off double by Acocella and a walk-off pinch hit RBI double by Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) for the 10-2 victory.

DeRosa pitched a complete game for the Pride and improved to 9-1 in the circle as she pitched six inning and allowed five hits, two runs and posted five strikeouts.

In both ends of the doubleheader, DeRosa combined to go 6-for-9 with four runs and an RBI, while Serricchio went 5-for-7 with three runs and three RBI.

With the regular season complete, Springfield will await seeding for the NEWMAC Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 3. The top two seeds will host doubleheaders on that day before the tournament shifts to the top seed on Friday, May 5.

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