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Softball 3.21.24: Novak 100 Wins
1
Amherst AMHERST 1-6
2
Winner Western New Eng. WESTERN 4-5
Amherst AMHERST
1-6
1
Final
2
Western New Eng. WESTERN
4-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Amherst AMHERST 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 2
Western New Eng. WESTERN 0 1 0 0 0 1 X 2 3 1

W: Kane, Riley (3-3) L: A. Moravek (0-2)

8
Winner Western New Eng. WNE 5-5
4
Kalamazoo KC 2-2
Winner
Western New Eng. WNE
5-5
8
Final
4
Kalamazoo KC
2-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western New Eng. WNE 3 0 0 0 1 2 2 8 10 2
Kalamazoo KC 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 8 2

W: Blanchard, Ava (3-2) L: M. Vrba (1-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

A Three Milestone Day: Head Coach Amanda Novak Reaches 100 Career Wins, Taylor Keegan Picks up 100th Career Hit as a Golden Bear, and Kailey Carrano Gets RBI Number 100 as a Golden Bear

Clermont, FL (March 21, 2024) – The Golden Bears started day five of games with a Western Massachusetts matchup against Amherst College. The Golden Bears got out to a 1-0 lead and would hold that until the sixth inning when Evelyn Picone drove home their second run of the game. They would hold off a seventh-inning comeback from Amherst College and win the game 2-1. Riley Kane let up one earned run in the win. Game two saw the Golden Bears jump out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Kailey Carrano homerun, which included career RBI number 100 for Carrano. However, the Hornets collected four runs in a row to lead 4-3 after two innings of play. The Golden Bears answered with five runs in a row starting in the fifth inning to win the game 8-4. Taylor Keegan led the Golden Bears by going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two walks. Keegan got career hit 100 as a Golden Bear during the game. Ava Blanchard struck out six batters for the Golden Bears in the win.

Game 1: Western New England 2, Amherst College 1 

Riley Kane and Abby Moravek began the game in the pitching circle for the Golden Bears and Mammoths, respectively. Both pitchers would see three batters in the first inning and sit them down one, two, three to start the game. The Mammoths started the second inning by getting two quick hits. However, the Golden Bear defense got the lead runner out twice, and Kane would get the final out of the inning to keep the Mammoths from crossing home. The bottom of the inning saw the Golden Bears have one on and one out with Alex Ferriouolo at the plate. Ferriouolo smacked a hit into deep left-center field, which brought Madison Mason home to give the Golden Bears the 1-0 lead. Riley Kane kept the momentum on the WNE side by sitting the Amherst College batters down one, two, three for the second time in the game. The bottom of the third would see the Golden Bears get a runner on; however, Abby Moravek would keep the Golden Bears from extending the lead. The fourth inning saw the Mammoths get two runners on, but Kane would work out of the jam and keep the Golden Bears in the lead. WNE would respond by loading the bases in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and Kaleigh Blades at the plate, Blades would hit the ball up the middle, but a clean play from the Mammoths' shortstop got them out of the inning. The scoring impasse continued in the top of the fifth inning. The Mammoths had a runner in scoring position with one out. However, the Golden Bears and Riley Kane kept the runner from scoring and went into the bottom of the inning with a one-run lead. That is where the lead would stay. Dani Torres Werra would sit the Golden Bear offense down in order. Riley Kane answered that by sitting the Mammoth's offense down one, two, three, as well. Then, the Golden Bear offense struck again in the bottom of the sixth. The Golden Bears had a runner on first and two outs. Evelyn Picone would pinch hit and hit a double into right-center field. That would bring Angie Carrasqui around the bases. Carrasqui would slide under the tag and score the Golden Bears' second run of the game. The Golden Bears had a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning. The Mammoths would not back down. They would load the bases with one out. Then, America Rangel would draw a walk to cut the score to 2-1. Riley Kane would then get the next batter to ground out to Kailey Carrano, who threw home to get the second out. Kane would then get the final out by getting the batter to fly out to right field. The Golden Bears held on for the 2-1 win to give head coach Amanda Novak her 100th career win.

Around the Diamond:

  • Three Golden Bears picked up a hit in the game one win. 
  • Alex Ferriouolo and Evelyn Picone picked up extra-base hits with a double from each player.
  • Five Amherst College batters hit singles during the game.
  • Riley Kane earned the win, giving up one earned run.
  • The Golden Bears won, 2-1.
  • That win was WNE Head Coach Amanda Novak's 100th career win.

Game 2: Western New England 8, Kalamazoo 4 

The Golden Bears saw Ava Blanchard take the pitching circle for the team. Kalamazoo College had Maddy Vrba in the circle to start the game. The Golden Bears got the bats started early in the first inning. With two on and no outs, Kailey Carrano sent the ball deep and far and out of the park. Carrano had the Golden Bears' first homerun of the season. That gave the Golden Bears an early 3-0 lead. Carrano became the ninth WNE player to reach 100 career RBI's with that homerun. Vrba would get the next three Golden Bears out, and it was the Hornets' turn to get some hits. Lizzy Rottenberk started the inning with a triple to right field. However, an error on the play allowed Lizzy to go home and pick up the first run for the Hornets.

Then, after the Hornets got runners on second and third, Brynna Garden bunted to the pitcher, who threw the ball home, but it was not in time. The score was now 3-2. After a strikeout for Blanchard, Cecilia Schihl hit a single through the infield and into left field. That brought Jordan Wesaw home. The score was 3-3 after one inning of play. Marley Rodriguez would start the second inning with a double for the Golden Bears. However, the Golden Bears could not bring Marley home. The bottom of the second saw the Hornets take a 4-3 lead on Landrie Fridsma's single that went to right field. Francesca Ventura scored on the play. The third inning saw both pitchers sit the opposing offense down one, two, three. Vrba had two strikeouts in the bottom of the third for the Hornets. The top of the fourth saw Shea McDaniel get on base but could not get home. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, the Hornets threatened by getting runners on first and second with one out. Ava Blanchard got the next two Hornets' batters to line out to Kaleigh Blades in left field, and the Golden Bears were out of the inning. The top of the fifth saw the Golden Bears tie the game at four. It all started with Taylor Keegan's 100th career hit as a Golden Bear, a double to right-center field. Then, with two outs and runners on first and second, Alex Ferriouolo sent the ball over the glove of the Kalamazoo College shortstop. That brought Keegan home, and the score was 4-4. In the bottom of the fifth, Blanchard kept the Golden Bear momentum going with a one, two, three inning against the Hornets' offense. 

The top of the sixth saw the Golden Bears gain more momentum. With runners on second and third and one out, Taylor Keegan doubled for the second at-bat in a row. This time, Keegan hit the ball to left-center field, and the Golden Bears had a 6-4 lead. Cecilia Schihl would enter the game at pitcher for the Hornets and get the final out of the inning. The bottom of the sixth inning saw Blanchard strike out the first batter and got the second batter to fly out. After a runner got on base, Blanchard got the final batter of the inning to line out. The seventh inning saw the Golden Bears extend their lead by two more runs. With runners on first and second and two outs, Shea McDaniel singled to center field. That would bring Madison Mason home. Then, Kaleigh Blades singled to left-center field, and Lizzie Weston scored. After the Golden Bears extended their lead to 8-4, Ava Blanchard walked out to the circle one more time during the game for the Golden Bears. Blanchard would walk the first batter but battle back by getting the next three batters to line, foul, and pop out to the WNE defense, and the Golden Bears had their fifth win in a row. They beat the Kalamazoo College Hornets 8-4. 

Around the Diamond:

  • Taylor Keegan led the team, going 2-for-3, with two walks and two doubles. Keegan picked up her 100th career hit as a Golden Bear.
  • Shea McDaniel went 2-for-4, with an RBI.
  • Marley Rodriguez and Kailey Carrano had the other two extra-base hits. Rodriguez had a double, and Carrano hit a homerun.
  • The Hornets were led by Landrie Fridsma, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
  • Lizzy Rottenberk had the sole extra-base hit for the Hornets. It was a triple.
  • Ava Blanchard earned the win for the Golden Bears. Blanchard struck out six Kalamazoo College batters.
  • The Golden Bears won the game 8-4.

Up Next:

  • The Golden Bears will play their final two games of "The Spring Games" on Friday, March 21, 2024. They will take on Tufts University at 11:30 AM and SUNY Plattsburgh at 1:45 PM. 
  • Amherst College played Union College in their second game of the day at 11:15 AM. They have a third game on Thursday at 6:15 PM against Westminster College. Kalamazoo College will play the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Ramapo College in their next games on Friday, March 21, 2024, at 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM.
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