Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Junior Alexis Bukowski hit a home run over the left field fence with two runners on to give host Western New England a 3-1 walk-off win over Wesleyan in the second game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Thursday at Golden Bear Park. The visiting Cardinals also captured a 3-1 victory in the first contest. Wesleyan is now 10-11 on the season while the Golden Bears stand at 12-5 overall.

In the nightcap, everyone witnessed a pitchers' duel as the two opposing starters both struck out 10 batters.
 
For the Golden Bears, senior tri-captain Lauren Zambrano (6-1) earned the win by giving up one run on only three hits, overcoming an early home run by Rielly Wieners in the second inning. Zambrano trusted her defense, which continuously secured tough outs for the pitcher, and she hit her spots in tight situations. Zambrano took over the Commonwealth Coast Conference lead with 70 strikeouts on the season and tied teammate Heidi Grieger with six wins in the conference.
 
Opposing Zambrano was Susan Prado, who carried a perfect game into fifth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh. She allowed only three hits, tooâ€"all of which came in the final stanza of the game.
 
Sophomore Corianna DeLisi laid down a perfect bunt in front of the catcher to start the inning. Junior Heather Fecteau singled through the left side, advancing DeLisi to second. After sophomore Gabby Lavinio took the Cardinals' left fielder back to the warning track, both runners tagged up and advanced to second and third. Bukowski dug in, and cranked a three-run homer to left for her first one of the season.

Defense and solid pitching helped WNE stay close with the Cardinals. In the third, Zambrano stranded a runner in scoring position and one out after inducing two flyouts. Three frames later, Wesleyan loaded the bases on a single by Jill Gately and two walks with a chance to increase its lead but couldn't score as Zambrano got Christina Zaccardi to foul out to first base and she struck out Amanda Roosa to end the threat.

In the first contest, Lavinio crushed a solo home run to right-center field giving the Golden Bears their only run in the sixth inning. Fecteau, Bukowski and senior Jocelyn Agnelli each picked up a hit for the Golden Bears.
 
Grieger, a junior, took the tough loss, going seven innings while surrendering three runs on seven hits. Her record falls to 6-4.

The Cardinals got on the board early in the first inning when Susan Pardo hit a solo home run to left field.

Grieger silenced the Cardinals' bats until the sixth inning when Wesleyan's Jamie Hom singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then, Gately singled through the left side of the infield, moving Hom to third base; she later scored on a wild pitch. Wieners doubled to left, scoring Gately and giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
 
Julie McDonald went the distance for the Cardinals, giving up one run on three hits while striking out nine. She forced Fecteau to ground out to the shortstop for the first out in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Lavinio took her deep on the next at-bat, cutting the Cardinals' lead to two.

The Golden Bears got a runner on first and second in the seventh inning, but McDonald got out of the jam and closed the game.

The loss in the opener snapped WNE's season-best nine-game winning streak, which is the longest in the conference this spring.

Western New England will travel to Beverly on Saturday to square off against defending CCC champion Endicott, a doubleheader starting at noon.

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