Lavinio Drives in Three Runs as Golden Bears Split CCC Doubleheader with Endicott

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Western New England University softball team split a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader with Endicott College this afternoon at Golden Bear Softball Park. Western New England rallied for a 3-2 win in the opener, before falling 6-1 in game two.

Western New England 3, Endicott 2
Junior catcher Corianna DeLisi (Tuxedo, N.Y.) provided the game-winning hit in the opener, snapping a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring sophomore Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) from second base.

Senior Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) did the rest of the work for Western New England, shutting
down the Gulls over the last three innings while allowing just two baserunners. Grieger improves to 8-4 after pitching all seven innings and striking out seven batters.

Sophomore Casie Beauchemin (Lincoln, R.I.) staked Endicott to a 2-0 advantage in the second inning with a two-run single to center field, but the lead was short lived as Western New England junior Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) tied the game with a two-run homer over the left center field fence in the bottom of the third.

Lavinio, DeLisi and senior Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine) led the Golden Bear offense with two hits each, while Luba reached base twice with a single and a walk.

Senior Jamie Corda (Higganum, Conn.) was the lone Gull to record multiple hits, with two. Classmate Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) started in the circle for Endicott and took the loss after surrendering three runs on nine hits through six innings.

Endicott 6, Western New England 1
After two scoreless innings in game two, Endicott took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by junior Julia McNeill (Smithtown, N.Y.). McNeill then came through with a two-run homer in the fifth, increasing the Gull's advantage to 3-0.

Endicott freshman Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) kept the Golden Bears off the board until the bottom of the fifth, when DeLisi singled with one out before coming around to score on Lavinio's RBI double to right field.

The Gulls came right back with two runs in the sixth, however, opening up a 5-1 lead. Junior Samantha DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) retired the first two batters in the frame, but the next two singled and junior Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to center field. After a Golden Bear error prolonged the inning, McNeill recorded her fourth RBI of the contest with a single to shortstop.

Western New England nearly got two runs back in the sixth, when senior Alexis Bukowski (Wallingford, Conn.) sent a high fly ball to left field with a runner on first, but Corda caught the ball at the fence to avoid damage.

Endicott added one more run in the sixth, handing the Golden Bears their first conference loss this season.

Both Western New England (13-9, 7-1 CCC) and Endicott (10-8, 3-3 CCC) will be back in action on Tuesday, as the Golden Bears head to Quincy for a doubleheader at Eastern Nazarene, and the Gulls return home to host Salem State.