LONG GONE: Hough's Homer Extends Win Streak to 20 Straight !
Hough ripped a screaming line drive over the fence in left center for the walk-off win
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | X | 10 | 11 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
|
|
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University senior shortstop Sarah Hough delivered a laser shot solo home run to left-centerfield to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Owls softball team to a 4-3 win in game 2 and a doubleheader sweep of Fitchburg State at Sullivan Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Westfield (20-0 overall, 4-0 MASCAC) and receiving votes in the NFCA/GoRout National Top 25 poll, won its 20th straight game to start the season, extending its school-record win streak.
Westfield was a 10-0 winner in game one of the twinbill.
The Owls win streak was on the line in game two, as the two teams battled back and forth to go to the seventh tied 3-3.
Fitchburg starting pitcher Madison Solt was due to face the heart of the Owls order in the bottom of the seventh, and with Hough leading off, Holt missed for ball one low and inside before going high and away for ball two. With the 2-0 count, Hough ripped a screaming line drive over the fence in left center for the walk-off win to extend the winning streak.
Westfield fell behind 2-0 on a 2-run single in the second inning from the Falcons' Kasey Connors. Westfield regained the lead with three in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three times with just one hit, as Allyssa Slack led off with a double, eventually scoring on an error. Reagan Salvatore scored on a wild pitch, and Hannah Reilly scored on the back end of a double steal to grab the lead.
Fitchburg responded in the top of the third with a leadoff double from Jessica Mueller, and a base hit to short from Priscilla Dillon moved Mueller over, and a groundout from Shaelyn Burns pushed across the tying run.
Westfield starter Isabella Schaeffer (W, 4-0) picked up the win, tossing a complete game, allowing seven hits and three walks while fanning seven. Solt (L, 1-8) was the hard-luck loser, also spinning a complete game and allowing just one earned run – on the home run.
In the opener, Westfield got a gem of a pitching performance from Joss Mettey, and the bats exploded for four runs in the third and six in the fourth to bring the run rule into play.
Mettey (W, 6-0) tossed four innings of one-hit softball, needing only 30 pitches and walking none, before giving way to Shayna Bakun for a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
Hough drove in two with a high fly-ball double off the very top of the wall in left center in the third inning and CC Thayer followed with a double down the line in right to score another run. Alyssa Slack followed with an RBI double to center for a 4-0 lead.
Westfield sent 11 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, with Slack launching a 2-run homer to left center to cap the scoring.
Slack, Rylie Camacho and Kassidy LaTour each finished with a pair of hits in game 1. Fitchburg starter Alison Hazel (L, 0-2) worked 3.2 innings and was saddled with the loss.
Hough finished the twinbill 3-5 with four RBI, a double, the home run, and was hit by a pitch, and hit a sacrifice fly. The double was the 41st of her career, extending her own school record. The home run was her 9th career blast, tying her for seventh on the Owls career list with Erika Gouin '17.
Fitchburg slips to 3-17 and 0-6 in the MASCAC.
Westfield will next travel to Anna Maria for a conference doubleheader on Saturday with a 12 noon start.