Softball makes late comeback in doubleheader

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams split games in a conference double header April 4 against the Bridgewater State Bears, dropping the first match 11-1 and winning the second 9-1. Following this match, the Rams bring their conference record to 2-2 and their overall record to 6-12. The Rams took the field at the top of the first, with a catch by sophomore Gianna Paolino in right field securing the first out. BSU’s second batter caught a piece of a pitch, sending a hard drive to center field, where sophomore Isabella MacDonald knocked it down, allowing the runner only a single. A line drive to left field on the next play allowed a Bears’ runner to single and advance a runner to second. The next at bat yielded a walk, loading the bases for Bridgewater. The next batter worked the count for a walk, scoring an unearned run. Batter number six sent a drive to center, bringing in another runner. Sophomore pitcher Audrey Gauthier struck the next batter out looking, then made a third out when she caught the next batter with a high fastball for a strikeout. Sophomore Ellie Etemad-Gilbertson was the lead-off batter for the Rams, making contact during her first at-bat, but the ball was caught by BSU’s shortstop. MacDonald stepped to the plate next, but a catch by the Bears’ third baseman got her out. Captain Eliza Carignan, a junior, made FSU's third out, striking out at the plate. Bridgewater continued to be effective on offense, with a bunt and two singles quickly loading the bases. The Bears’ fourth batter of the inning sent a rocket to center, doubling and clearing the bases to bring the score to 6-0. A catch in center by MacDonald, a strikeout by Gauthier, and a throw by catcher and Captain Jocelyn Pepe, a sophomore, to catch a runner stealing third base made three outs against Bridgewater. At the top of the third, sophomore Julie Chisholm took the mound. After a BSU runner walked and advanced to third, a hard shot up the middle brought her in, scoring the team’s seventh run. Bridgewater was able to get one more runner across the plate before the end of the inning, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly to center, while Paolino caught the next batter’s shot to right field. Unfortunately, the Rams’ only success at the plate during the third inning came from Etemad-Gilbertson, who worked the count for a walk. BSU’s scoring streak did not let up in the fourth, and they scored three runs. Sophomore Ava Gray managed to get a hold of her first pitch at the bottom of the fourth, sending the ball into deep right field for a ground-rule double. Sophomore Amanda Roche also made contact, with errors by BSU’s infield allowing her to make it to first and advance Gray to third. Freshman Maddie Belette also made it on base, but Bridgewater accumulated three outs before any runners could be brought in. After holding BSU to zero runs in the fifth inning, the Rams managed to put up a run. Junior Riley Eagan walked, then advanced on a single by MacDonald. Carignan stepped to the plate, sending a ball to the center field gap for a double and scoring Eagan. Despite this success, the Bears made three outs, ending the match in their favor with a score of 11-1. Framingham began the second match in the field, with junior pitcher Peyton Farris taking the mound. The Rams made effective plays in the first inning, tallying three outs on BSU’s first three batters. Etemad-Giblertson caught a fly ball in left field, sophomore Mikayla Yuricheck made a catch at second base, and MacDonald caught a line drive to center field. Unfortunately, the bottom of the inning did not bode well for FSU, and the Bears collected three outs before the Rams could attempt to tally a run. Framingham continued to play well defensively, holding two runners on base and preventing any runs. Pepe was first to bat for the Rams in the second inning, hitting a short ball but beating the throw to first, then stealing second on the following pitch. Roche and Yuricheck both struck out, then Paolino battled back from a 0-2 count for a walk. Farris was the third out of the inning, and the Rams took the field once again. An overthrow by FSU allowed the Bears to put a runner in play. A fielder’s choice on the next play got the runner out at third, but allowed the batter to make it on base. On the next play, a double to left field scored the runner from first, allowing the Bears to score the game’s first run. Two plays by Carignan at third base allowed Framingham to close out the inning quickly. The Rams were able to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Etemad-Gilbertson made it to first on a walk, then MacDonald hit a ground ball down the first-base line. She was thrown out, but advanced Etemad-Gilbertson to second. Carignan was able to make it to first due to a fielding error by BSU, allowing Etemad-Gilbertson to cross the plate. Two plays in the field closed out the inning with only one run scored by FSU. A play off a ground ball from Carignan to Gray made the first out of the fourth inning. BSU’s next batter singled, then a catch by MacDonald in center field earned the Rams another out. Farris struck the next batter out looking, ending the first half of the inning. Roche started a rally for FSU, hitting a double to the gap between center and right field. Yuricheck also found a gap, hitting a single between shortstop and second base and advancing Roche to third. A strikeout and a failed bunt on the next two batters did not dull the Rams’ efforts. Etemad-Gilbertson stepped into the box and sent a hard shot to left field, bringing in runs from both Roche and Yuricheck to snag the lead for FSU. MacDonald put her bat on the next ball, hitting a single to bring in the run from Etemad-Gilbertson. MacDonald successfully stole second base, but a caught fly ball ended the inning shortly after. Framingham’s defense held strong at the top of the fifth, with three consecutive outs on plays to first by Carignan, freshman Nina Buda, and Farris. On the offensive end, Pepe led off for FSU with a single hit up the middle. After a strikeout on the following batter, Yuricheck reached first on an error and advanced Pepe to second. Belette hit a foul ball down the third-base line that was caught by a BSU fielder, marking the second out. During her at-bat, Buda worked the count for a walk, loading the bases. All three runners were left on base, as a play by Bridgewater’s third baseman caught Etemad-Gilbertson out at first. The sixth and final inning went completely in the Rams’ favor. Farris struck BSU’s first batter out looking. The second and third batters grounded out to second base and the pitcher’s mound, respectively. MacDonald started Framingham’s final at bat off strong with a triple to center field. On the next play, Carignan hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing MacDonald to tag up and score. Gray stepped into the batter’s box next, sending a ball flying over the fence for a home run. Gray said her success at the plate comes from trusting her teammates to find success in front of her. After her first few unsuccessful at-bats, Gray said, “Going into my last at-bat, I trusted myself to just put the ball in play, and a home run came from that approach.” She said between pitches, she steps out of the box to “take a deep breath and refocus on the next pitch. In softball, it’s really important to let go of past at-bats and stay focused on the present moment.” Pepe also made contact, singling with a hit to right field. After Roche got out on a fly to center, Yuricheck hit a ball to right field, making it to first and sending Pepe to second. With two runners on, Paolino hit a walk-off homer over the fence, scoring three total runs and ending the game with a score of 9-1 Rams. Gray said the success during the second game came from the teams’ effort and “our ability to attack early. … In game two, we came out aggressively right away and brought much better energy. “Staying loud in the dugout and supporting each other made a big difference and helped keep everyone locked in,” she added. Gray said the make-or-break aspects of offense and defense are “energy and adjustments. “In game two, we did a much better job staying positive and making adjustments throughout the game. Peyton throwing so many strikes was huge for us. She really stepped up and set the tone defensively,” she added. As Gray mentioned, Farris’s pitching was a key contributor to FSU’s win, with her allowing only five hits and one run, and striking out three batters. Farris said she finds her success on the mound “with the help of my teammates. I have to have a solid defense behind me, and they're doing a great job. Just looking at my catcher, looking at my first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, everyone - they just all bring me up.” Farris said Framingham’s overall success during the second game, after a struggle during game one, came from the team realizing “we're better than we were in the first game. We take everything and learn from it. We realized that's not who we are and that we're better than that.” The Rams split a conference double header with the Worcester State Lancers, losing 9-1 in game one and winning 11-1 in game two. These matches bring FSU’s conference record to 3-3 and their overall record to 7-13. FSU will host the MCLA Trailblazers in a conference matchup April 11. Gray said coming into the next few games, the plan is to “come out strong and set the tone early, especially with our bats in the first inning. … Overall, we just need to stay consistent, keep our energy up, and focus on scoring more runs than our opponent.”