Springfield, Mass. (May 7, 2024) – The Golden Bears hosted Nichols College for the second-round game of the CCC Tournament. The Bison struck first with a single in the third. However, Kailey Carrano would give the Golden Bears the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third. That is how it would stay for the rest of the game, and the Golden Bears won 2-1. Marley Rodriguez led the Golden Bears with a 2-for-3 performance. Ava Blanchard earned the win for the Golden Bears by pitching for 3.1 innings, letting up one hit, no runs, and striking out four batters.

Records:

Western New England: 25-12 (11-5)

Nichols College: 23-19 (10-6)

Game 1: 

Evelyn Picone took the pitching circle for the Golden Bears in the Golden Bears' first game of the CCC Tournament. Picone saw three batters and got all three out to start the game. The Golden Bears would see Taylor Keegan and Gracie Hemstock make it to base; however, they could not get a runner home after Bison pitcher, Chelsea Indyk, got two batters to fly out to end the inning. Picone kept the Bison hitless in the top of the second, and the Golden Bears got a runner on but no runs, so it was scoreless after two innings of play. Riley Chartier started the third with a double. Then, with one out and runners on first and third, Ava Slavinsky hit a single through the left side of the infield, and it was 1-0 Bison. Picone would work out of the inning, and in the bottom of the third, with a runner on third and two outs, Kailey Carrano got hold of a pitch and sent it over the right-center field fence. The Golden Bears led 2-1 after three. 

The Bison got two hits with two outs in the top of the fourth. That would bring Ava Blanchard into the pitching circle for the Golden Bears. Blanchard struck out the final batter of the inning to move the game to the bottom of the fourth. Cassidy Machado would enter the game in the pitching circle for the Bison in the bottom of the fourth. The Golden Bears got two batters on base. However, Machado would get the last two batters out to keep the deficit at one. The Bison got a runner on in the fifth. However, Blanchard would get the final batter to fly out to keep the Golden Bear lead at one. Machado answered with a one, two, three inning for the Bison. The top of the sixth inning saw Blanchard respond with a one, two, three inning, too, and the Golden Bears carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the sixth. Machado kept the great pitching going by striking out the side and getting two of the batters to strike out looking. Blanchard would finish the game sitting down the Bison one, two, three, with a strikeout. The Golden Bears won the game 2-1.

Around the Diamond:

• Marley Rodriguez led the Golden Bears by going 2-for-3 from the plate.
• Kailey Carrano had the only extra-base hit for the Golden Bears, with the game-winning two-run home run in the third inning. 
• Riley Chartier led the Bison by going 2-for-3 from the plate, with a double, the lone extra-base hit for the Bison.
• Chelsea Indyk pitched three innings for the Bison, giving up four hits and two earned runs. Cassidy Machado pitched three innings, letting up two hits and no runs for the Bison. Machado struck out three Golden Bear batters.
• Evelyn Picone pitched 3.2 innings for the Golden Bears. Picone let up four hits, one earned run and struck out one batter.
• Ava Blanchard pitched 3.1 innings, striking out four batters, giving up one hit, and not letting up a run.
• The Golden Bears beat the Bison 2-1.

Up Next:

• The Golden Bears will travel to Endicott College on May 10, 2024, for a matchup with Wentworth Institute of Technology in the winner's bracket side of the CCC Tournament at approximately 4:00 PM.
• The Bison will travel to Beverly, Massachusetts, for a showdown with Endicott College on May 10, 2024, at approximately noon.