UMass Boston Softball Sweeps Framingham State Behind 11 Two-Out Runs

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-- UMass Boston softball used a pair of strong pitching performances and a huge day from freshman center fielder Taylor Pawlina (Woonsocket, R.I.) to earn a sweep over host Framingham State University.

THE BASICS
GM1: UMass Boston 4, Framingham State 1
GM2: UMass Boston 7, Framingham State 2
(UMass Boston 10-6)
(Framingham State 6-14)

HOW IT HAPPENED
In the opener, UMass Boston scored three of their runs on two-out doubles, as the Beacons bats showed no ill effects from their eight-day lay-off.

Pawlina proved to be the difference maker in game two, as the freshman went 2-for-3 with a
career-high five RBI in the 7-2 win.

GAME ONE
The Beacons scored a single run in the first, third, fourth and sixth, with an RBI two-out hit in each inning, to knock off the Rams 4-1.

Taylor Marcotte (Agawam, Mass.) finished with an RBI and a run scored, while Lauren Mitsiaris (Taunton, Mass.) led the Beacons with a pair of doubles and an RBI.

Pawlina added a pair of doubles of her own and recorded one RBI, while freshman catcher Roxanne Vento (Arlington, Mass.) was responsible for the final RBI double.

In the circle, freshman Annie Thomas (Lunenburg, Mass.) improved to 5-3, as she allowed just six hits and one run in seven innings of work. She also struck out five, while walking one batter.

Tiffanie Marsh registered two of the Rams six hits and their lone run scored, while Megan Downing chipped in with an RBI. Kelsi Gunarathne took the loss, after allowing two earned runs and four hits in 2.2 innings of work.

After the first two Beacons in the top of the first were retired, Gia Raczkowski (Stoneham, Mass.) doubled and came in to score two batters later on Mitsiaris' RBI double to left-center.

In the third, Kaitlyn Morse (Arlington, Mass.) singled to left, stole second and moved over to third on a groundout, before walking home on Vento's two-out double.

UMass Boston made it 3-0 in the fourth, as Marcotte reached on an error with two outs and scampered home on Pawlina's deep double to center field.

Framingham cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning, as Marsh led off with a double and came home on Downing's RBI single.

The Beacons closed out the scoring in the sixth, as Alyssa Tulley (Lowell, Mass.) singled with two down, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Marcotte's RBI single.

Framingham State loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with two down, but Thomas got Downing to ground out to second, to close out the victory.

GAME TWO
UMass Boston led from start-to-finish in the nightcap, behind a strong performance from sophomore pitcher Morgan Bishop (Ramsey, N.J.).

In her first collegiate start, Bishop allowed eight hits and two earned runs, to pick up her first collegiate win. Bishop struck out three and allowed just two walks, in her fourth collegiate appearance in the circle.

Pawlina took care of everything at the plate, as she finished with a two-run single, a two-run double and a sacrifice fly.

Fellow freshman Alexa St. Angelo (Cranston, R.I.) had a big game of her own, as she went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Marcotte tacked on three hits and an RBI in the victory.

Jessica Pietersen took the loss for the Rams, as she was charged with 11 hits, five walks and six earned runs.

It took the Beacons just nine batters to grab the lead, as Pawlina laced a two-run, two-out single to make it 2-0 in the top of the second.

The Rams cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the third, when Downing plated Marsh with a two-out RBI single.

Pawlina answered back in the top of the fourth, as the freshman delivered with a sacrifice fly to score St. Angelo.

After tacking on another run in the sixth, the Beacons pushed the lead out to 7-1 with a three-run seventh. With two down and the bases loaded, Marcotte made it 5-1 as she scored Mitsiaris with an RBI single. On the next pitch, Pawlina blasted her third double of the day to plate Kayla Harris (Cumberland, R.I.) and Jackie Flynn (Braintree, Mass.).

BY THE NUMBERS

• UMass Boston's six doubles in game one, marked their most two-baggers in a game since April 21, 2013. The Beacons had six doubles against Little East Conference foe Plymouth State University in an 11-10 game one loss. 
• The Beacons improved to 18-16 against Framingham State University with their fourth-straight sweep over the Rams. The win marked the Beacons' eighth-straight win against the Rams and their 13th in their last 15 games.
• Pawlina finished the day 4-for-6 with six RBI. She now sits first on the team in RBI (11) and raised her batting average by 51 points (.357). 
• On the day, UMass Boston scored all 11 of their runs with two outs. 

WHO'S NEXT 
UMass Boston will open Little East Conference play today at 1 p.m., as the Beacons host intra-state rival UMass Dartmouth. The Beacons are looking for the first-ever LEC opening doubleheader sweep in program history.