Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla.--The Western New England University softball team opened the 2015 season on Saturday here at the National Training Center Spring Games, crushing Oswego State 8-0 in five innings before losing a nine-inning, 3-2 heartbreaker to Saint Lawrence University.

Against Oswego, junior first baseman Heather Fecteau set the tone with a grand slam as Western New England raced to a 5-0 lead after just one inning of play.

The Golden Bears tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second as junior center fielder Alexis Bukowski ripped a two-run triple to right field and Fecteau added a RBI-single to center. Fecteau finished the game with a double in her third at-bat.

Junior pitcher Heidi Grieger went the distance for the win, scattering four singles and a walk with three strikeouts.

Melanie Klauser went 2-for-3 to pace Oswego, which left six runners on base. Jacquie Porreca also had a pair of singles in as many at-bats.

A costly error hurt WNE in the extra inning defeat to the Saints, who took advantage of a throwing error to plate the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Sophomore shortstop Gabby Lavinio had two of the Golden Bears five hits, including an RBI-single in the eighth to put WNE ahead 2-1.

The Saints, however, got the tying run in their home half when Aisha O'Connor singled to second base as Carly Dziekan scored from third.

In the top of the ninth, WNE had runners on second and first but winning pitcher Kyle Plimpton (1-1) got Grieger to pop up first base to end the scoring threat unscathed.

Both teams got on the scoreboard in the fourth stanza. Bukowski laced a double to left field to bring pinch-runner Corianna DeLisi from second base for a 1-0 WNE lead. Kylee Knight, who went 3-for-4, hit a RBI-single to center with two out for the tying run.

Plimpton finished with 14 strikeouts and a walk. The Golden Bears pitching staff of senior tri-captain Lauren Zambrano (5 IP, 11 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) and Grieger (3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 SO) threw well enough to win.

Saint Lawrence outhit the Golden Bears, 15 to 5.

Western New England will play again on Sunday versus Worcester State (1 p.m.) and Bowdoin (3 p.m.) in central Florida.

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