Softball Sweeps Keene, Sets Win Record with 33rd of Season
Westfield State improved their overall record to 33-1, setting both a softball team record for wins, and also the most wins in a single season by any Owls athletic team.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
|
|
0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
|
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 5 | 11 | 2 |
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University softball kept their sensational season rolling along with a doubleheader sweep of Keene State on Sunday at Alumni Field.
With the two wins, Westfield State improved their overall record to 33-1, setting both a softball team record for wins, and also the most wins in a single season by any Owls athletic team.
Westfield topped Keene 11-3 in the opener, and 5-3 in the nightcap, getting quality pitching from first-year starting pitchers Isabella Schaeffer (W, 5-0) in the opener, and Shayna Bakun (W, 4-0) in the nightcap. First-years Cassidy Wallner mopped up in game 1, and Lyla Dwyer recorded the final three outs of game two.
In the first game Westfield unloaded early, scoring seven runs in the second inning and three in the third. Sarah Hough had a two-run single to open the scoring in the second, and Hannah Wodecki followed with a 2-run double, and Kassidy LaTour added another two-run double later in the inning.
Wodecki added another RBI double in the third inning as she finished 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Keene scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Westfield needed to push a run across in the fifth to invoke the 8-run rule, loading the bases before Caroline O'Donnell singled through the left side to drive in Wodecki and end the game.
Schaeffer allowed just one run in four innings, giving up five hits but striking out six while walking none.
Wodecki, LaTour, and Ella Malanson each had three hits for the Owls.
Westfield chased Keene starter Marina Gronbach (L, 1-1) after just 1.2 innings of work. Keene CF Elyse Picard had two hits including an RBI double.
Westfield jumped on Keene for four runs in the bottom of the first inning in game 2. O'Donnell delivered the big blow of the inning with a fly ball double that hit halfway up the left field wall to drive in two runs.
Westfield added one more run in the sixth on a RBI single from Hough.
Bakun surrendered just one run in six innings, working around four hits and four walks while fanning one. Dwyer worked through trouble in the seventh, giving up two runs, but struck out Marina Gronbach with a runner aboard to end the Keene threat and the game.
Wodecki, Reagan Salvatore and Arielle Ostman were repeat hitters for Westfield.
Starter Olivia Souers (L, 2-6) took the loss for Keene State (16-17), working two innings while allowing six hits and two walks. Ashley Conner tossed four solid innings in relief allowing just one run.
Softball passed their season win total from last year, when the Owls finished 32-8, and the 32 wins originally established by the Owls 1975 baseball team, when they advanced to the NCAA regional, falling one win short of the College World Series.
Owls softball has re-established the season win total in each of the last three seasons under fourth-year head coach Joe Hough.
Westfield has four regular season games left on the schedule. The Owls are slated to travel to the University of Hartford on Thursday for a non-conference twinbill, and then have a showdown at Salem State on Saturday – as the Owls hold a one-game lead on the Vikings in the MASCAC regular season standings, with the regular-season title and the top seed in the MASCAC Tournament on the line in those two games to finish the regular season.