Wenham, MA (April 19, 2024) – The Golden Bears traveled to Wenham, Massachusetts, for a CCC Friday-afternoon doubleheader. The Golden Bears took game one thanks to a two-run home run from Alex Ferriouolo in the fourth inning. WNE won 2-1. Riley Kane earned the win by pitching seven innings, giving up one earned run, and striking out three batters. Riley Kane and Kailey Carrano each went 2-for-3 from the plate. Game two saw the Golden Bears win the game 5-1, with both Madison Mason and Kailey Carrano hitting home runs. Three pitchers pitched for the Golden Bears, with none giving up an earned run. Ava Blanchard earned the win by pitching four innings and striking out four batters.

Game 1: Western New England 2, Gordon 1

The Golden Bears and pitcher Riley Kane took on the Fighting Scots and Emily Graham. Graham only let up one hit in the first inning. Kane would let up two, but neither team was able to get the runners home to open up the scoring. The second inning saw a similar situation play out, with each team getting a runner on but no runs again. Graham and Kane kept up the pitching duel going in the third, with neither team able to get runners home, and the game continued in a tie. It looked like the top of the fourth was going to continue in a similar fashion, but with two outs and Madison Mason on second after hitting a double, Alex Ferriouolo hit a season-first home run over the left-center field fence to give the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead. The Fighting Scots answered right away as Jayden Johnson hit a fourth-inning lead-off home run over the right field fence. The score was 2-1 after four. The fifth and sixth innings saw both teams send three batters to the plate and both Graham and Riley sat them down one two three in each inning. In the final inning of play, Riley Kane would hit a double in the top of the seventh. However, they were not able to get home to extend the lead. The Fighting Scots had one more chance to extend the game; however, Kane sat the Fighting Scots' batters down one, two, three once again to secure a Golden Bear victory, 2-1.

Around the Diamond:

• The Golden Bears saw Kailey Carrano and Riley Kane go 2-for-3 in game one. 
• Riley Kane and Madison Mason picked up doubles during game one.
• Alex Ferriouolo picked up the only two Golden Bear RBIs, with a home run.
• Five Gordon College players went 1-for-3.
• Lianha Messier had the lone extra-base hit for the Fighting Scots with a double.
• Jayden Johnson picked up the RBI for Gordon College.
• Emily Graham pitched seven innings, letting up two earned runs.
• Riley Kane pitched seven innings, giving up one earned run and striking out three batters to earn the win.
• The Golden Bears won 2-1.

Game 2: Western New England 5, Gordon 1

Ava Blanchard and Sierra Ricci started game two from inside the pitching circle. Ricci sat the Golden Bears down one, two, three to start the game. The Fighting Scots had runners on first and third, with two outs, but Blanchard would get the final out to keep the game tied after one. Both pitchers would handle the opposing lineups in the second. Then, Kaleigh Blades would ground into a fielder's choice in the top of the third. However, Marley Rodriguez would score on an error. Blanchard would keep the Fighting Scots from scoring in the bottom of the third, and WNE led 1-0 after three. The Golden Bears threatened to score again in the fourth. However, Ricci struck out the final batter of the inning to keep the deficit at one. Then, Gordon College had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth with two outs. However, Blanchard answered with a strikeout to keep the Golden Bears in the lead. The Golden Bears widened the gap in the top of the fifth, thanks to a two-out rally. Riley Kane singled to left field with a runner on second. Alyssa Poisson scored on the play. Then, Madison Mason hit a two-run home run that traveled over the left field fence, and WNE had a 4-0 lead.

Evelyn Picone would enter the game as the pitcher in the bottom of the fifth and sat the Fighting Scot batters down one, two, three. Ricci would do the same to the WNE batters in the top of the sixth to keep the Golden Bear lead to four. Then, with runners on first and second, with only one out, Kane would get the next two runners out to get out of the jam. The top of the seventh saw Kailey Carrano extend the lead to five with a solo home run that went over the left-center field fence. Then, Emilia Garcia entered the game as the WNE pitcher. Garcia would strike out the first batter. Then, after an error, the Fighting Scots had a runner on third with one out. Emily Graham would ground out but drive the runner home to make the score 5-1. Garcia would get the final out after that to give the Golden Bears the 5-1 win. 

Around the Diamond:

• Kailey Carrano and Marley Rodriguez each picked up two hits in the second game.
• Marley Rodriguez, Madison Mason, and Kailey Carrano each had an extra-base hits. Rodriguez had a double, and both Mason and Carrano had home runs.
• The Fighting Scots were led at the plate by Ami Rivera, who went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
• Sierra Ricci pitched seven innings, giving up four earned runs and striking out one batter.
• Evelyn Picone pitched two innings, giving up no earned runs and striking out three batters. Emilia Garcia pitched one inning, did not give up an earned run, and struck out one batter. 
• Ava Blanchard pitched four innings, giving up no earned runs and striking out four batters to earn the win.
• The Golden Bears won the game 5-1.

Up Next:

• The Golden Bears will be back at Golden Bear Softball Park on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at noon and 2:00 PM for a Senior Day doubleheader against Keene State College.
• The Fighting Scots are back on the field tomorrow, April 20, 2024, at noon and 2:00 PM, as they host Roger Williams University for Senior Day.