Strong Offense Fuels Springfield College Softball to NEWMAC Doubleheader Sweep of Wheaton

Recap, photo courtesy of Springfield College

Norton, Mass. - April 7, 2018 - The Springfield College softball team returned to action on Saturday afternoon, as the Pride defeated Wheaton twice in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader at Clark Softball Field. The Pride defeated the Lyons, 16-1, in game one, before routing the hosts, 10-0, in game two, which was limited to five innings.

Leading the Pride on the day was junior Shelby Allen (Oakland, N.J.), as she went 5-for-9 at the plate with six RBI and two runs scored, while also picking up her sixth win of the season in game two. Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) and Kirsten Drobiak (Griswold, Conn.) each had six hits on the day, while Drobiak notched her conference-leading eighth home run of the season.

Springfield College's next scheduled game is on Friday, April 13 as the Pride will host two games with Clark on Potter Field beginning at 3 p.m. 

Springfield College 16, Wheaton (Mass.) 1 -- Game One

Senior Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) took the ball in game one and pitched a complete-game,

allowing just six hits and one run while also striking out four en route to her seventh win of the season. Wheaton's Allison Cox (Torrance, Calif.) suffered the loss, as she allowed 15 hits and eight earned runs on the afternoon. Drobiak went 4-for-5 at the dish in game one with a team-best three RBI, while Gasdia also added three hits and four runs scored for the Pride.

Springfield College opened a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Gabby Alfieri (Cornwall, N.Y.), before Allen singled to center in the top of the second, plating Gasdia to make it 5-0, Pride. Drobiak would score an unearned run in the top of the fourth to push the Pride's advantage to six, before Wheaton got its lone run of the game in the bottom half of the frame to make it 6-1, Springfield, after four innings.

Sophomore Allie Wheeler (Agawam, Mass.) drove in Gasdia in the top of the sixth to push the Pride's lead back to six, before the Pride opened a 16-1 lead in the top of the seventh, including a three-run shot from Drobiak and a two-run single from Meghan Sastram (Oxford, Conn.). 

Loda went out in the bottom of the seventh and forced the last three outs to seal the win for Springfield College.

Springfield College 10, Wheaton (Mass.) 0 -- Game Two

Allen was dominant for the Pride in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday as the junior went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, while also earning her sixth win of the season, pitching 5.0 innings, giving up just four hits while striking out five. Gasdia also went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored, while Sastram added two more RBI in the victory.

Springfield College got right to work in the top of the first inning, spotting Allen four runs as Drobiak scored Loda with a double to center, before the senior scored on a sacrifice fly from Alexyss Conley (Bloomingburg, N.Y.). With runners on, Sastram roped a double to left-center to play Wheeler and Allen to make it 4-0, before in the top of the second, Allen drove in Gasdia and Rachel Ball (Coventry, R.I.) with a two-run double to make it 6-0, Springfield College.

Ball would score on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth to make it 7-0, before Allen drove in two more with a single to left center, pushing the Pride's lead to nine. Gasdia would tack on an insurance run in the top of the fifth, as her single to right center plated Ball to make it 10-0, Springfield College.