Milton, Mass. (April 28, 2024) – WNE traveled to Milton, Massachusetts, for their second doubleheader in as many days. The Golden Bears took on the Curry College Colonels. WNE took both games. They won the first game 8-0 in five innings, scoring three in the first, three in the third, and two in the fifth. The Golden Bears had 15 hits, with five batters collecting multiple hits. Ava Blanchard pitched five innings, letting up three hits, no earned runs, and striking out five batters. Game two saw the Golden Bears win 9-0. They scored one in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth, and three in the seventh. Alex Ferriouolo led WNE at the plate, going three-for-four and hitting a two-run home run. Evelyn Picone earned the win from the pitching circle, letting up three hits, no earned runs, and striking out five batters to match the game-one performance from Blanchard.

Records:

Western New England: 22-10 (10-4)

Curry College: 15-21 (2-12)

Game 1: Western New England 8, Curry College 0 (Five Innings)

Caitlyn Wood would get the start in the pitching circle for the Colonels. Wood got the first Golden Bear batter out. However, Gracie Hemstock would get on and then run home on a Kailey Carrano single. Lizzie Weston would score Carrano on a two-out single to left field. Marley Rodriguez followed with a double, which brought Madison Mason home, and just like that, it was 3-0 WNE. Ava Blanchard was the WNE pitcher for game one. Blanchard sat the Colonels down one, two, three with one strikeout. The Golden Bears would get two runners on base in the second. However, Cook would get out of the inning without letting up a run.

The Colonels got three batters on base. However, Blanchard notched two more strikeouts to move the game to the third inning. The top of the third saw Angie Carrasquillo send a double into left field to bring Kim Baumann and Marley Rodriguez home. Then, Taylor Keegan hit a single to center, and Carrasquillo scored. The Golden Bears were up 6-0. Blanchard got the first two Colonel batters out. Then, after two batters got on base, would get the third out. The fourth saw Madison Mason hit a double. However, Cook struck out one batter and got the final batter to line out to keep the deficit at six. Blanchard got out of the inning one, two, three. The top of the fifth saw a two-out single from Keegan bring Rodriguez home and a single from Gracie Hemstock bring Keegan home. The Golden Bears led 8-0 going into the bottom of the fifth. Blanchard finished out the game by getting a strikeout, a flyout, and a groundout to help the Golden Bears win 8-0 in five innings.

Around the Diamond:

• The Golden Bears picked up 15 hits.
• Taylor Keegan, Gracie Hemstock, Kailey Carrano, Madison Mason, and Marley Rodriguez each had more than one hit.
• Madison Mason, Marley Rodriguez, and Angie Carrasquillo each had a double.
• The Colonels had three hits, with Jordan Ferullo, Madelyn White, and Natalia O'Kleasky having the hits.
• Caitlyn Wood pitched five innings for the Colonels, letting up seven earned runs and notching two strikeouts.
• Ava Blanchard pitched five scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out five batters to earn the win for WNE.
• WNE won 8-0 in five innings.

Game 2: Western New England 9, Curry College 0

Game two saw Morgan Barmash start in the circle for the Colonels. The Golden Bears got a runner on base. However, Barmash would get the final batter to hit into a double play to end the top of the inning. Evelyn Picone got the start for the Golden Bears. Picone walked one batter but struck out one as well and did not let up a hit. The Golden Bears got on the board with a sacrifice fly from Marley Rodriguez, which brought Madison Mason home. The Golden Bears led 1-0. Picone struck out the first batter, and go the next two out as well to get through the second inning, one, two, three. The third saw Kailey Carrano pick up an RBI with a sacrifice fly ball, which brought Angie Carrasquillo home. Then, Madison Mason drove Taylor Keegan home with a single. To finish off the inning, Alex Ferriouolo slapped a home run over the left-field fence for a two-run home run. With Mason coming home on the home run, the Golden Bears led 5-0. The Colonels would get runners to second and third base. However, Picone got the final out to move the game to the fourth inning. Marley Rodriguez started the fourth with a double. Kim Baumann followed with a single. Then, a wild pitch would bring Rodriguez home, and the score was 6-0. Barmash got the next three batters out to limit the damage. 

The Colonels got the first runner on base with a walk. However, Picone struck out the next batter and got the final two out to keep the Colonels scoreless. The top of the fifth saw Jillian Rogers enter as the pitcher for the Colonels. Rogers would sit the Golden Bears down one, two, three, with two strikeouts. Picone answered with a one, two, three inning and two strikeouts. The top of the sixth saw a WNE batter get on base. However, Rogers collected three strikeouts to get out of the inning. The Colonels got two runners on base once again. However, Picone got the final out to move the game to the seventh inning. The top of the seventh saw Kailey Carrano slap a double into left field to score Keegan. Then, Alex Ferriouolo singled and brought two more runs in. Madison Mason and Christina Salinas scored to make the lead 9-0 for the Golden Bears. Emilia Garcia entered the game as the Golden Bear pitcher. Garcia let up a single but then got the next three outs to secure the 9-0 win for the Golden Bears.

Around the Diamond:

• The Golden Bears had 11 hits during the game.
• The Golden Bears were led by Alex Ferriouolo, who went three-for-four with a home run and four RBIs.
• Kailey Carrano and Marley Rodriguez each had a double.
• Alex Ferriouolo hit a two-run home run for WNE.
• The Colonels had four hits, with Jordan Ferullo, Taylor McDermott, Jillian Rogers, and Renee Gonneville getting the hits.
• Morgan Barmash pitched four innings, letting up six earned runs. Jillian Rogers pitched three innings, letting up three earned runs and striking out six WNE batters.
• Emilia Garcia pitched one inning, letting up no earned runs and one hit.
• Evelyn Picone pitched six innings, striking out five batters and letting up no earned runs on three hits to earn the win for WNE.
• WNE won the game 9-0.

Up Next:

• The Golden Bears will travel to Willimantic, Connecticut, on Thursday, May 2, 2024, for a doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut State University, starting at 5:00 PM.
• The Colonels will host the Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.