Offensive Balance Leads Women's Lax To 23-13 Win At Saint Joseph's

Recap, photo courtesy of UMass

Minutewomen tally season-high goal total in Atlantic 10 opening win.
PHILADELPHIA - Four different Minutewomen notched three-or-more goals as the UMass women's lacrosse team opened Atlantic 10 play with a 23-13 road win at Saint Joseph's on Thursday afternoon. The victory extended UMass' NCAA-record league winning streak to 55 consecutive games thanks to the season-high goal total.

Hannah Palau scored a career-high five goals to lead the Minutewomen (6-3, 1-0 A-10) while Holly Turner led all players with a game-high seven points on three goals and four assists. The effort moved Turner into second all-time for career points (231). Kaitlyn Cerasi finished just behind Turner with six points on a career-high four goals while adding two assists. Hannah Murphy rounded out the top scorers with four goals while Ally Murphy had a career-best two as well.

In the draw circle, Kiley Anderson had another strong game winning a career-high 16 draw controls which is the second-most for a single-game in program history. Defensively, Kasey Keane led UMass with four caused turnovers and three groundballs.

Saint Joseph's (4-5, 0-1 A-10) was led by Rebecca Lane who matched Turner's game-high seven points with three goals and four assists. Stephanie Kelly and Bridget Cerciello each had three goals and two assists.

In goal, Lauren Hiller made six saves for the Minutewomen while her counterpart Liz O'Sullivan made 19 for the Hawks.

Overall, UMass held a 48-to-22 shot advantage in the game and won 23-of-37 draw controls thanks in part to the individual effort of Anderson.

After UMass led 12-6 at the intermission, Saint Joseph's pulled back within four to start the second half. A four-goal spurt featuring a pair of Palau goals pushed the Minutewomen's lead to 16-8 with 18:43 to go.

The Hawks pulled back within five late in the second half, but the Minutewomen netted the last five goals of the contest to secure the win.

MIT Field Hockey Receives NFHCA Academic Accolades

Courtesy of Gil Talbot

Gilbert, Ariz. (March 29) – The MIT field hockey team had 12 student-athletes claim a spot on the National Academic squad, with one being named a Scholar of Distinction, as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). In addition, the Engineers collected their 16th straight National Academic Team Award by achieving a minimum 3.0 team GPA on a 4.0 scale during the 2017 fall semester.

To be eligible for the National Academic Squad, student-athletes must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.30 through the first semester of the 2017-18 academic year. Seniors Amanda Lowery (Encinitas, Calif.) and Ellen Mulé (Alexandria, Va.) earned their third consecutive selections while seniors Anna Neuman (Abingdon, Md.), Katie Notarangelo (Foxboro, Mass.), and Emily Penn (Columbia, Md.) along with juniors Allie Shepard (Wexford, Pa.) and Katherine Stoll (Avon, Conn.) were repeat qualifiers. First-time honorees for MIT were junior Bailey Tregoning (Frederick, Md.) and sophomores Devon Goetz (Rockville, Md.), Taylor Grey (Horsham, Pa.), Rayna Higuchi (Solana Beach, Calif.), and Jacqueline Liao (Great Neck, N.Y.).

Higuchi was also tabbed for Scholar of Distinction accolades, which recognizes student-athletes with a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher through the first semester of the 2017-18 academic year. A total of 13 MIT student-athletes have earned a spot on this list since the award was established in 2012 with Higuchi being the Engineers' first qualifier since 2014.

Golden Bears Open CCC Play with Two Wins over Curry

Sophomore Aimee Kistner struck out a career-high ten batters in the second game of Western New England's CCC-opening sweep against Curry on Saturday. (Photo by Eddy Maldonado)

Uliase & Kistner post dominant pitching performances for Western New England

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 31, 2018) – The Western New England University softball team opened Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play with a pair of victories over Curry College on Saturday afternoon at Golden Bear Park. Western New England rolled to a 10-0, five-inning triumph in the opener, before completing the doubleheader sweep with a 2-0 win in game two. 

Western New England 10, Curry 0 (5 Innings)

Top Performers
• Senior Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) led Western New England's 15-hit outburst, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored.
• Sophomore catcher Mallory Donelan (Mineola, N.Y.) also posted a 3-for-3 effort with one RBI and one run scored, while sophomore Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) and freshman Cassidy Howe (North Andover, Mass.) recorded two hits each.
• Sophomore Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) got the start in the circle and improved to 3-3 this season after striking out three batters and allowing just one hit over four innings of work.

• Freshman Jocelyn Dimond (Weare, N.H.) and senior Carolyn Lynch (Ipswich, Mass.) tallied one hit each for the Colonels.  

Game Review
Western New England's offense was rolling from the outset of the contest, as the Golden Bears plated three runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Howe, Luba and sophomore Carlie Moss (Delmar, N.Y.) all recorded RBI singles off Curry senior pitcher Rebecca Black (East Greenwich, R.I.).

The Golden Bears extended their advantage to 7-0 with four runs the following inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Howe singled to center field, scoring Donelan. Luba followed with an RBI double, before sophomore Tori Fisher (Poestenkill, N.Y.) capped the scoring in the frame with a two-run single to left field.

Western New England tacked on three more runs in the fourth, and senior pitcher Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) came on to get the final three outs as the Golden Bears secured their first run-rule victory of the season.

Western New England 2, Curry 0

Top Performers
• Kistner was a key contributor both at the plate and in the circle in game two. She struck out a career-high ten batters and surrendered just one hit during a complete shutout game pitching performance, while also going 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.

• Curry senior Kevi Oatway (East Hartford, Conn.) accounted for the Colonels' lone hit with her fifth inning leadoff single.

Game Review
After two scoreless frames, the Golden Bears put the only two runs of the game on the board in the third inning.

Curry senior pitcher Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.) retired the first two batters in order, but senior Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) singled to keep the inning alive.

Kistner came up next and delivered an RBI double to right center field, and the sophomore advanced to third before coming in to score on a dropped fly ball in right field.

Kistner allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way as the Golden Bears completed the sweep.

Up Next
Western New England (6-6, 2-0 CCC) will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon, when the Golden Bears host Keene State for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. Curry (2-12, 0-4 CCC) travels to Wheelock on Monday.

Recap courtesy of Western New England.

Team Effort Highlights WPI Softball’s Game Two Comeback in DH Sweep of Wheaton

Recap, photo courtesy of WPI

WORCESTER – Freshman Brittany Bolster (North Kingstown, RI) was one of three Engineers to bat 2-for-3 in game one and junior Renee LeClaire (Merrimack, NH) went 3-for-3 with a double in game two as WPI topped Wheaton, 6-3 and 9-4, Saturday in a NEWMAC Softball doubleheader on Rooftop Field.

The Engineers are now 15-5 on the season, 5-1 against NEWMAC teams and tied with MIT atop the leaderboard. Wheaton dips to 4-12 and 2-4.

Senior Ama Biney (Worcester, MA) led off the bottom of the first with a home run. Wheaton pulled even in the second courtesy of a wild pitch. The Lyons looked to plate another but the runner was caught in a rundown for the second out. WPI freshman Skylar O'Connell (North Attleboro, MA) then sent the ball over the shortstop into left field to drive in a run in the bottom of the second.

With two outs in the third, freshman Marissa Gonzales (Oakley, CA) singled in a run and came home on a stand up triple by LeClaire. Senior RiAnna May (Westminster, CO) followed with an infield RBI knock for the 5-1 advantage through three.

Each side dented the scoreboard in the fourth as Wheaton junior Emily Schlapak (Dover, NH)

Win Streak Snapped as Blue Tennis Falls In Tough 5-4 Final at Cerritos

Sophomore Korina Hernandez has now won six straight matches and is 4-0 playing in the No. 4 position in the Wellesley lineup (Gil Talbot).

NORWALK, Calif. – Wellesley College tennis entered Thursday night's match against Cerritos College with a perfect 4-0 record on their California road trip but in the end it was the host Falcons that would extend their own winning streak to 18 straight matches with a 5-4 victory over the Blue. 

Wellesley is now 8-5 overall after going 4-1 in five matches this week in California. Cerritos, a member of the California Community College Athletic Association's South Coast Conference, improves to 20-1 overall and remains unbeaten since February 3rd.

The Falcons jumped ahead in doubles play, taking a 2-1 lead thanks to victories at No. 1 and No. 2. At No. 2, Petra Such and Moa Lindström defeated Wellesley Korina Hernandez (Tampa, Calif.) and first year Abigail Schleichkorn (Pacific Palisades, Calif.), 8-3, to open the match. The Falcons then earned a crucial 8-6 victory in a tight No. 1 doubles match that saw Lisa Suzuki and Kseniia Prokopchuk top Justine Huang (Coto de Caza, Calif.) and Selina Peng (Taichung, Taiwan).

Wellesley would get on the board at No. 3 doubles, where first years Lizzy Kong (Mason, Ohio) and Lily Chu (Princeton, N.J.) would down Itzi Torres and Diviana Bravo, 8-6, to pick up a point for the Blue.

The Blue dropped into a 3-1 hole to start singles, as Prokopchuk topped Kong, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 3, but Huang and Chu would rally in the next two matches to go final, tying the match 3-3 with victories at No. 1 and No. 6. Huang defeated Suzuki, 6-3, 6-3, and Chu defeated Bravo, 6-4, 6-1. Cerritos took the upper hand in the next two matches to clinch the victory, earning a pair of wins after the No. 2 and No. 5 matches ended at nearly the same time. At No. 2, Such topped Peng in a three-set decision, 6-0, 3-6, 6-0, while Torres took down junior Sojin Ki (Irvine, Calif.), 6-1, 6-4, to clinch the match.

Wellesley would get one back in the final match of the evening, where Hernandez outlasted Lindström in three, 2-6, 6-4, 10-6, to make the final score 5-4. Hernandez has now won six straight matches and is 4-0 playing in the No. 4 position in the Wellesley lineup.

The Blue return home and to the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) season on Tuesday, April 3 with a 4:30 PM match versus Clark.

Blue Softball Splits With Emerson To Open NEWMAC Campaign

Senior Amanda Manning hit two doubles and a triple to lead the Blue at Emerson (Julia Monaco).

BOSTON, Mass. – Wellesley College softball roared to a 9-5 victory in game one before host Emerson College put-up six runs in the sixth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit and win game two, 7-4, in the first day of New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play for both teams on Friday at Rotch Field. Wellesley is now 4-7 overall (1-1 NEWMAC), while Emerson moves to 12-4 (2-2 NEWMAC).

Wellesley 9, Emerson 5 

Senior Amanda Manning (Chico, Calif.) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs to lead the Blue to a 9-5 victory in game one.

First year Gen Brittingham (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) also added three hits and a pair of doubles, while starter Julia Warner (Kenmore, Wash.) recorded three hits and an RBI and struck out three in seven innings to earn her third win of the season.

Lindsey Lowe (Porter Ranch, Calif.) was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored for Emerson, while first year Maddie Tomich (Lithia, Fla.) hit her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the circle, Neely Eddleston (West Wareham, Mass.) pitched 5.1 innings, giving-up four earned runs on eight hits. Casey Tsamis (Colchester, Conn.) took the loss, as she was charged with five earned over 1.2 innings in relief. 

Trailing 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning, Wellesley took control of the game, scoring four runs on six hits to take a 7-5 lead. Sophomore Jessica Budz (Traverse City, Mich.) started the rally with her second single of the day, setting off a chain of four straight Wellesley hits that included a double from classmate Autumn Brown (Marshfield, Mass.), an RBI single from Warner and an RBI double from Manning. 

The Blue added two more runs later in the inning, with Warner scoring on a sacrifice fly from Kendall Smith (Turlock, Calif.) and Manning coming around to score on an RBI double to right from Brittingham. Wellesley would also added two in the seventh, scoring both runs with two outs as Manning dropped down her second double of the day to score Warner and Kim singled to drive in Manning. 

Emerson 7, Wellesley 4

Jacqueline DeFusco (East Greenwich, R.I.) and Jillian Gearin (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) both homered as part of a six-run sixth inning to help Emerson earn the split with a 7-4 victory in game two.

DeFusco finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs in game two. Lowe added three more hits for the Lions, who got 3.2 innings of one-run relief from Eddleston after starter Erin Nolan (Hunterdon, N.J.) was chased from the game after surrendering three runs over the first 3.1 innings. 

Brittingham hit her first career home run in the top of the fourth, Manning recorded her second triple in her last four games and Smith unleashed her fifth double of the year, but the Blue managed just four hits in game two. Senior Madeline Bianchi (Lakeville, Minn.) struck out six, but she was charged with six of the seven Emerson runs in 5.1 innings and is now 0-2 on the season. 

Emerson junior Alena Jones (Woodinville, Wash.) opened the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. Emerson would hold the lead until the fourth, when Brittingham put the ball over the left centerfield fence after Smith opened the inning with a walk. The Blue would go on to load the bases but could only push one more run across when sophomore Kalei Oliver (Vista, Calif.) worked a walk to make the score 3-1 later in the inning. 

Manning tripled with two-out and Warner at first in the top of the sixth to give the Blue a 4-1 lead. However, the Wellesley advantage would disappear in the bottom half as Gearin and DeFusco both hit two run homers and the Lions scored two runs on an error to take the 7-4 victory. 

Cozza’s Eighth Inning Home Run Leads UMass Over GW 7-4

Jena Cozza opened up a three-run eighth inning with a solo shot to left field, her 10th of the season.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jena Cozza hit a leadoff home run in the top of the eighth inning as UMass scored three runs on their way to a 7-4 win in game one against George Washington on Friday afternoon. The Minutewomen (15-10 Overall, 4-0 Atlantic 10) had eight different batters record a base hit on their way to finishing with 12, marking the fifth straight game that the UMass offense has posted 10 or more hits.
 
Cozza's 10^th home run of the season paved the way for a three-run eighth inning as the senior sent one over the wall in left after crushing one foul the pitch prior to leadoff extras. Cozza went 3-of-4 at the plate with a run scored and two RBI.
 
UMass kept it going with a pair of singles by Erin Stacevicz and Madison Gimpl to put two runners on before Melissa Garcia came through with a RBI single to right center field to extend the lead to two.
 
Hannah Bunker added the third and final run of the extra frame with a single to center field that scored Madison Gimpl with the bases loaded to put the MInutewomen ahead 7-4 with three outs left for Kiara Oliver. Bunker was one of three Minutewomen to finish with multiple hits as she went 2-of-5 with a run scored.
 
Oliver entered with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth inning as she picked up her eighth win of the season, striking out the first batter she faced on her way to finishing with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work. Meg Colleran opened up the game in the circle, tossing 4.2 innings while striking out five while allowing just one earned run.
 
GW (22-9 Overall, 2-2 Atlantic 10) opened up the scoring in the second inning with two runs off a pair of UMass errors to go ahead 2-0. The Colonials added two more in the fifth inning to tie things up at 4-4.
 
UMass brought in two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to grab a two-run lead of their own, scoring the first run on a Jackie Kelley RBI single to center field followed by Cozza's first of two RBI on a single to RF to bring in Bunker. Stacevicz scored on a passed ball to put UMass ahead by three during Amy Smith's at-bat while Smith followed by driving in another run on a RBI infield single to bring the count to 4-2.

Monks hold off Bison, 4-3

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Nichols College baseball team came up just short against Saint Joseph's College (Me.), falling to the Monks 4-3 on Friday afternoon in a non-conference matchup at the New England Baseball Complex.
 
The Bison drop to 5-11 overall, while the Monks improve to 8-5. Nichols is right back in action tomorrow morning when they take on Worcester State at 11:00 a.m. at the New England Baseball Complex.
 
Junior Joe Assenza blasted his first homerun of the season for the Bison, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Senior Cam Cook added a 2-for-4 day, while sophomore Kyle Bouchard went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Nick Roy went 1-for-5 with a run scored, with freshman Nathaniel Cormier and sophomore Ryan Nesbit each going 1-for-3.
 
Sophomore Andrew Charbonneau pitched well in the defeat, allowing four runs (three earned) with