By Adam Levine
Sports Editor
By Riley Crowell
Staff Writer
The Framingham State Rams swept the UMass-Boston Beacons in their nonconference doubleheader at the Maple Street Field April 13.
The opening inning of the first game was scoreless for both teams, despite the Beacons tallying two hits and the Rams tallying one.
Framingham’s starting pitcher, Olyvia Mendonca, held the Beacons to a three up, three down inning.
The Rams’ offense broke away in the bottom of the second inning with their first two-out rally of the game.
Framingham’s second baseman, Brooke Grassia, third baseman, Mikayala Rooney, and shortstop, Camille Desrochers, pieced together three RBIs, totalling four runs for the Rams.
Framingham’s Mendonca struckout two UMass batters in the top of the third inning and held the Beacons scoreless once again.
In the bottom of the third inning, Framingham’s bats continued to heat up. Framingham’s right fielder, Keely Scotia, hit an RBI single and increased the Rams’ lead to 5-0.
With two outs in the inning, Framingham launched another two-out rally. Rooney, Desrochers, and left fielder Gwen Carpenter, pieced together three RBIs, totalling another four runs for the Rams.
Head Coach Larry Miller said, “We talked about trusting the process and going up there with a good approach and sticking to that approach.
“They were able to do that, come up clutch, make some things happen, and it was nice to do it with two outs and get some runs for us,” Miller added.
Framingham held a 9-0 lead entering the fifth inning, but the Beacons rallied two runs to prevent a five-inning mercy defeat.
Framingham’s pitcher, Rylynn Witek, relieved Mendonca during the bottom of the fifth inning.
Witek closed out the fifth inning allowing one run from a walk and striking out three batters.
Witek said, “I'm just hitting my spots knowing that my team has my back behind me.
“I trust my team a lot,” she added.
After the Rams’ offense was held stagnant in the fifth inning, Witek struck out three consecutive batters in the top of the sixth inning.
Framingham’s Scotia closed the game with a walk-off RBI to secure Framingham’s 10-2 six-inning mercy victory.
The first inning of the second half of the doubleheader continued to go the way of the Rams.
Framingham’s offense collected two runs in the bottom of the first from an RBI single by Desrochers and Rooney’s base-running on a wild pitch by UMass.
The Rams and Beacons reached a stalemate in the second inning, with neither team being able to score a run and Framingham holding a 2-0 lead.
The next offensive action came in the top of the third inning, where a sacrifice bunt by the Beacons allowed their first run to cross the plate.
UMass capitalized on a Framingham fielding error in the top of the fifth inning, scoring two runs to take a 3-2 lead.
Framingham bounced back in the bottom of the fifth inning. With bases loaded and two outs on the board, Framingham’s first baseman, Kelsey McGuill, drew a walk to tie the game.
The Rams biggest offensive contribution of the game was delivered by Rooney in the bottom of the sixth inning, who hit a two-RBI single to give Framingham a 5-3 lead.
A late Beacon rally in the seventh inning proved unsuccessful and the Rams finished off their sweep with a 5-4 victory.
Framingham is tied with two other teams for first place in the MASCAC.
Miller said, “We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we want to show up, we want to play well, play our game, and keep the wind calm.”
The Rams host MCLA for a MASCAC matchup April 15.