Springfield, Mass. – March 9, 2025 – The Springfield college softball team earned its first wins of the 2025 season as the Pride swept the University of Hartford in a non-conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Springfield won the opener 8-4 and the nightcap 11-9.

Springfield is now 2-2 on the season, while Hartford opens the year at 0-2. Today's doubleheader marked the first time in program history that Springfield and Hartford have met.

Game One:

Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) pitched a complete game for Springfield to improve to 1-1 as the junior struck out four, allowed four runs and scattered five hits. Offensively, Carissa Pecchia (Mamaroneck, N.Y.)and Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.) combined to go 6-for-7 at the plate with two RBI in game one, while Kate Katsetos (Brewster, N.Y.) knocked in two runs of her own with two hits. At the top of the lineup, both Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) and DeRosa combined for three hits and two RBI. As a team, Springfield produced five doubles in game one.

An RBI double form Gendron in the bottom of the third plated Springfield's first run as she plated Lyndsay Donston (South Windsor, Conn.). Katie Manzone (Wareham, Mass.) then brought Gendron across on a single to left before a two-run single from Katsetos made it 4-0 through three.

After a two-run homer by Hartford cut Springfield's lead in half in the top of the fourth, the Pride struck for four more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Rachel Powers (Tigard, Ore.) plated Brynlee Eckles (Ellington, Conn.) on a double to left, Puskas then plated Powers on an RBI double. DeRosa roped an RBI double to center scoring Puskas before Gendron scored DeRosa on a single to center to make it 8-2. 

Hartford scored twice in the top of the sixth, but DeRosa set the Hawks down in the seventh to secure the 8-4 victory.

Game Two:

Springfield registered 11 runs and 15 hits in the nightcap. Trailing 4-2 in the fifth, a pinch-hit two-run double from Emilia Santiago (West Hartford, Conn.) knotted the score at four before Katestos pushed Springfield ahead 5-4 with a single to right.

Despite Hartford scoring once in the sixth to even the score once again, Springfield's bat produced six runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead 11-5. Puskas began the sixth with a double to center and scored the go ahead run on an RBI single to left by Pecchia. With the bases loaded, a single to center from Katsetos scored two before an error by Hartford accounted for the Pride's ninth run. Powers then blasted a single to center plating Marissa Seyfert (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Katsetos to make it 11-5.

Hartford wouldn't go quietly though as the Hawks had the tying runs in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Lily McCauliffe (Greenwich, N.Y.) came out of the pen and struck out the side to secure the save and the 11-9 victory for Springfield.

Springfield will travel to Florida for its next eight contests opening up against Fredonia on Sunday morning at  9:00 am.

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