BRISTOL, R.I. (April 17, 2016) - The Western New England University softball team split a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader with Roger Williams University this afternoon at Paulino Field. The Golden Bears recorded 14 hits en route to a 12-1 win in the opener, before falling 3-0 in game two.
 
Following the split, Western New England maintains its two-game lead at the top of the CCC standings with a 12-2 record in league play (18-12 overall). Roger Williams now sits at 16-14 overall and 10-4 in CCC action, good for a three-way tie with the University of New England and Salve Regina for second place.
 
Western New England 12, Roger Williams 1 (5 innings)
Western New England's bats led the way in the opener, as a trio of Golden Bears posted multi-hit performances, highlighted by senior Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine). Fecteau went 3-for-3 with a home run and five RBI, while also scoring three runs. Classmate Alexis Bukowski (Wallingford, Conn.) posted a 3-for-4 effort with a double and two RBI, and junior Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) went 3-for-3 with a walk and four runs out of the leadoff spot.
 
Senior Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) earned her CCC-leading 11^th win of the season in the circle after pitching four innings and giving up just one run on three hits.
 
Fecteau staked the Golden Bears to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-run homer, and Western New England doubled its advantage in the third as Bukowski and junior Corianna DeLisi (Tuxedo, N.Y.) each drove in a run.
 
Roger Williams got one run back in the bottom of the third on junior Meredith Moise's (North Reading, Mass.) RBI single, but the Golden Bears erupted for seven runs in the fourth.
 
Western New England recorded six hits in the big frame, including a two-run single by Fecteau, an RBI single by Bukowski, and a grand slam by freshman Allison Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.), her first collegiate home run.
 
The Golden Bears tacked on one more run in the top of the fifth, and sophomore Emily Cramer (Stoughton, Mass.) came on to record the final three outs in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Roger Williams 3, Western New England 0
Roger Williams freshman Juliet Hulme (Duxbury, Mass.) was able to quiet the Western New England offense in game two, as the Hawks salvaged a split with their 3-0 win.
 
Senior McKenzie Pezze (Albany, N.Y.) led the Golden Bears with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate, while Fecteau reached base twice with a walk and a single.
 
Roger Williams did all of its damage in the third inning, scoring three runs on four hits. Freshman Amanda Boulter (Wakefield, Mass.) led off with a single, and Moise drove her in two batters later with a single to left center. Sophomore Haley Ledbetter (Westerly, R.I.) followed with an RBI triple, before coming in to score on freshman Micaela Pohl's (Middleboro, Mass.) sacrifice fly.
 
The Golden Bears had opportunities to cut into their deficit in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings, but stranded two runners on base in all three situations.
 
Junior Samantha DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) got the start for Western New England and gave up three runs on five hits in 2.2 innings of work. Sophomore Sarah Broderick (Woodbury, Conn.) came on in relief and surrendered just two hits over the final 3.1 frames.  
 
The Golden Bears will be right back in action on Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader at Wesleyan. Roger Williams is scheduled to play two games at Framingham State on Wednesday.