Softball Sweeps Fisher at Home in Non-Conference Play

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Softball team hosted Fisher College for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

BASICS
Game 1
Score: Elms College 11 | Fisher College 1
Records: Blazers 2-24, 1-11 (GNAC) | Falcons 0-17, 0-1 (CAC-NAIA)

Game 2
Score: Elms College 0 | Fisher College 10
Records: Blazers 3-24, 1-11 (GNAC) | Falcons 0-18, 0-1 (CAC-NAIA)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
Junior pitcher/utility player Caity Flynn (Colchester, Conn.) would take the ball for Elms in the first game of the doubleheader, where she would start the game with a looking strikeout. In the bottom of the first inning, the Blazers would load the bases, after junior utility player Amanda Raymond (Auburn, Maine) and junior infielder/pitcher Jill Dykema (Preston, Conn.) would both be hit by a pitch and a walk to first year utility player Cheyann Goddard (Pittsfield, Mass.). Elms would score shortly thereafter when junior pitcher/outfielder Kaelyn Zakaitis (Amherst, Mass.) earned a walk to bring Raymond across the plate. Goddard would score on a wild pitch, Flynn and first year first year Reagan Giguere (Sutton, Mass.) would hit back-to-back singles to drive in Dykema and Zakaitis. The inning would close out after first year catcher/utility player Jordyn Rossi (West Springfield, Mass.) would be hit by a pitch, first year infielder Ashlyn Cullity (Wilmington, Mass.) would reach base on a fielder's choice that would see Flynn score, and a walk to sophomore pitcher Reece Hebert (North Haven, Conn.), to give the Blazers a 5-0 lead. In the top of the second inning, Fisher would score their first run of the game, but the Elms defense would collect the three outs to end the inning. In the bottom half of the second, Raymond would be hit by another pitch and would steal second base. Goddard would be walked and Dykema would hit a single to load the bases. Raymond would score on a wild pitch and Zakaitis would load the bases again with a walk. Flynn would reach base on a fielder's choice and Goddard would score. Moments later, Giguere would hit a double to right field and Zakaitis would score on the play. Rossi, Cullity, and Hebert would all be hit by a pitch, with Flynn scoring, as the Blazers would extend their lead to 9-1. The Falcons would earn a base runner in the top of the third inning, but they would not be able to score. Raymond would earn a walk to start the bottom of the third inning, and would score when Goddard would hit a triple to left center field, followed by a double from Dykema to left field to drive in Goddard. Zakaitis would earn a walk and Flynn would hit another single, but the Elms offense would keep their lead at 11-1. In the fourth inning, Hebert would relieve Flynn in the pitcher's circle and she would toss two swinging strikeouts. In the bottom half of the inning, Giguere would hit a single to left field, first year catcher/utility player Lizzie Jamrog (Suffield, Conn.) would earn a walk, and Cullity would be hit by a pitch, but the Blazers would not be able to score in the inning. In the fifth inning, the Fisher offense would see a runner reach base, but with a swinging strikeout and a popup back to the Elms pitcher, the Blazers would record the three outs to end the game for the non-conference victory.

Game 2
In the second game of the afternoon, Hebert would stay on the rubber for Elms, handing a scoreless inning to the Falcons and only allowing one runner on base in the first inning. Raymond would lead off with a walk, would steal second base, and would score on a passed ball. Dykema would then hit a triple to left center field and would also score on a passed ball. Jamrog, Zakaitis, and sophomore infielder Nyah Colon (Springfield, Mass.) would all be walked to load the bases, and Jamrog would score when Giguere would be hit by a pitch. Zakaitis would score moments later on a passed ball. Giguere would steal third base and Cullity would earn a walk, but the Blazers would take an early 4-0 lead. In the top of the second inning, Hebert would record a swinging strikeout during a 1-2-3 inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Goddard would earn a walk, Dykema would reach base after an error was committed by the left fielder and she would advance to second base. Then with two runners in scoring position, Jamrog would hit a two-run single up the middle to bring the score to 6-0. Fisher would put two runners in scoring position with two outs in the top of the third inning, but Hebert would record the final out of the inning with a swinging strikeout to get out of the jam. The Elms offense would start the inning by loading the bases after Colon and Hebert would both be hit by a pitch, Cullity reaching base on a fielder's choice, along with a single to right field from Giguere. Colon would score moments later when Raymond would earn another walk, followed by a single to left field by Flynn to drive in Cullity, and Hebert would score after Dykema would be walked. Dykema and Flynn would make a double steal, followed by Rossi earning a walk, as the Blazers would extend their lead to 9-0. In the top of the fourth inning, Zakaitis would relieve Hebert in the pitcher's circle. During the inning, the Elms defense would make an 8-1-3 double play, when a line drive would be caught by Raymond, she would throw the ball into the infield to Zakaitis and she would throw the ball over to Giguere to get the runner. Then with an 0-2 count, Zakaitis would strikeout the final batter swinging to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Colon would lead with a hit by pitch, followed by Giguere reaching base on a fielder's choice. Giguere would score on the next play when Cullity would hit a double to left field. The Blazers would load the base after Hebert and Flynn would both be hit by pitches and Raymond would hit a single past the second baseman, but the Falcons would get the third out to end the inning. Zakaitis would begin the fifth inning with back-to-back strikeouts, but Fisher would see two runners on base. But the Elms defense would record the final out of the doubleheader when a line drive would be caught by Giguere to secure the victory and sweep.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Hebert: run scored and a walk at the plate, would pitch a combined five innings with five strikeouts to earn the win in Game 2.

• Raymond: a hit, four runs scored, a run batted, three walks, and two stolen bases at the plate, and would be involved in a double play in the field.

• Goddard: a hit, four runs scored, a run batted-in, and three walks.

• Dykema: three hits, with a double and a triple, three runs scored, two runs batted-in, a walk, and a stolen base.

• Zakaitis: three runs scored, a run batted-in, four walks at the plate, would pitch two innings with three strikeouts, and would be involved in a double play in the field.

• Flynn: three hits, two runs scored, three runs batted-in, and a stolen base at the plate, would pitch three innings with a strikeout to earn the win in Game 1.

• Giguere: four hits, with a double, a run scored, three runs batted-in, and a stolen base at the plate, and would be involved in a double play in the field.

• Cullity: a hit, with a double, a run scored, three runs batted-in, and a walk.

• Jamrog: a hit, a run scored, two runs batted-in, and two walks.

• Colon: a run scored and a walk.

• Rossi: a walk.

UP NEXT: The Elms Softball team will travel to Weston, Mass. to play Regis College in a conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 18th at 1 & 3 pm.

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