By Liam Gambon
The Framingham State Rams took on UMass Dartmouth and pulled out with a lopsided victory.
Catcher Marissa Flynn led the way offensively for the Rams as she went three-for-three at the dish with two doubles and had three runs, three RBIs and a walk. Dayna Marchant recorded a pair of hits, including a triple, while also accounting for an RBI.
The Corsairs only came away with two hits in the game. One hit came from freshman Brittany Polk and the other was a sixth inning solo homerun from Maxine Vincent.
Sophomore Kelsi Gunarathne recorded her sixth win of the season on the mound. Gunarathne went seven innings and allowed one earned run, on five hits, with four strikeouts and two walks.
Junior Hannah Smith took the loss for the Corsairs, going three innings, allowing three runs, all unearned, on five hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
The Rams scored at least one run in every inning, but the first which led them to this blowout game backed by the fantastic pitching efforts from Gunarathne.
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The FSU softball team walked off with a 1-0 win in the opening game of a non-conference doubleheader against New England College.
In the opener, both teams received lead o& doubles and saw runners in scoring position, but neither team could push across a run, sending the game to the seventh, still scoreless.
In the top of the seventh, Alexa Scribner led off the inning with a bunt single and stole second and third with no outs. A walk put runners on the corners and a second walk loaded the bases for the Pilgrims. Framingham State’s Gunarthne induced a bouncer back to the mound for a 1-2-3 double play and recorded a strikeout to end the threat.
In the top of the inning, Marchant led o& the inning with a walk and Flynn followed her at bat with a game-winning triple to deep right to secure the victory.
Gunarathne improved to 7-1 on the year with the win. She went seven scoreless innings and allowed just four hits, with eight strikeouts and seven walks. Senior Debra Mazzeo took the loss for the Pilgrims, going 6.1 innings and allowing one earned run on seven hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
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In game two, the Rams plated Mve runs in the bottom of the second to take control of the game. Junior Anna Dziok led o& the inning with a solo homerun to left. Freshman Kyla Johnson plated a run with a double to center and Marchant scored a pair on a triple to left. Senior Kylie Boyle drove in the final run of the inning with a single to center.
The Rams added two more in the bottom of the fifth on a pinch hit, two-RBI single from junior Bridget McGrail.
New England College plated a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout from sophomore Christine McNeil. The Pilgrims then scored two in the top of the seventh on an RBI groundout and error by Chanel Welch.
Junior Jessica Pietersen earned the victory in the second half of the doubleheader, going seven innings and allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits, with two strikeouts. Mazzeo took the loss going five innings and allowing seven runs on 12 hits.
The Rams travel on the road on Thursday with a non-conference doubleheader at Johnson & Wales.