Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The University of New England utilized a six-run 4th frame to pad a slim advantage on the way to a 9-3 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball win over Western New England University in the latter stages of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 8) at Golden Bear Park. WNEU held off UNE's 7th-inning rally to take the opener, 6-5.

With the split, the Nor'easters (8-6) move to 4-2 in league action. After claiming the initial five CCC outings, the Golden Bears (13-3) settle to 5-1 in conference play.

Andrea Gosper and Alexis Kapsambelis led the visitors in GAME 2 with two hits and two runs apiece. Melissa Sprague got a positive decision for the second time in as many days, notching eight strikeouts over six innings.

For the third straight contest, Lauren Gerhard put UNE on the board first with a two-out hit that scored Gosper in the 1st.

That spread held for a couple innings, until with two away and the bases loaded, Melissa Jakubowski singled to plate Gosper and pinch-runner Caroline Schoenbucher. The Nor'easters quickly assumed a 7-0 cushion, which included an RBI-single by Avery Alberghini and Gosper knocking in two more.

Western New England got on the board in the last half of the 5th, as a pair of two-out singles from Danielle Flint and Lindsay Williams made it 7-2.

Both sides scored in the 6th -- first UNE, with a two-RBI single by Kelsey Mansfield, and then the Golden Bears on an RBI-double off the bat of Aimee Kistner.

The hosts filled the bases with one out in the 7th, but were unable to close the gap.

Williams finished with a match-high three hits for WNEU. Sarah Broderick (loss) and Kistner shared the responsibility in the circle, and each fanned three.

Williams also provided Western New England with a walk-off win in GAME 1, as her second RBI-single of the contest netted the deciding score with two away in the last at-bat.

It saved the Golden Bears, who saw a four-run lead (5-1) disappear to UNE in the top of the 7th. Sarah Lachapelle cut it to 5-2 with a lead-off home run for the Nor'easters, and two singles surrounding an out bounced WNEU starter Paige Uliase from the contest. Emily Cramer then faced five batters -- after getting the second out, Schoenbucher extended her hitting streak to 10 games to load the bases, and three consecutive free passes brought things all even (5-5). The hosts managed to escape without falling behind, as Broderick came in to record the inning-ending (and eventually decision-earning) strikeout.

Western New England built most of its advantage in the 1st, plating four runs with one out off Nor'easters' starter Katelyn Austin. Katie Wood drove in two, before Kistner and Uliase added one apiece.

Lachapelle's first hit produced UNE's initial run with two out in the 4th, two batters after the first of two hits by Gerhard, who touched home plate.

The Golden Bears stranded three in the 5th, but did go ahead 5-1 in the 6th off the bat of Williams. WNEU was primed to get more as Gabby Lavinio's second double put a pair in scoring position, but Jakubowski (loss) -- who entered the UNE circle for the 6th -- then retired three in-a-row to keep the deficit from expanding.

Wood and Jenn Luba joined Williams and Lavinio with two hits for the winners.

Next Up: UNE will wrap up its busy road weekend with two games at Nichols College (1-5 CCC) on Sunday (12 p.m.).