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SB 3.30.25
5
Winner Curry CC 7-5
4
Western New Eng. WNE 6-6
Winner
Curry CC
7-5
5
Final
4
Western New Eng. WNE
6-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Curry CC 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 5 5 1
Western New Eng. WNE 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 4 7 4

W: C. Wood (2-1) L: Blanchard, Ava (4-3)

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

W: Kane, Riley (4-5) L: M. Barmash (2-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

McDaniel Goes 3-for-5 On the Day, Notching A Triple and Homerun, Golden Bears Split First Conference Doubleheader With Curry

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 30, 2025) – The Golden Bears returned to Golden Bear Softball Park for the first time this season. They hosted Curry College in a CNE doubleheader, their first of the season. The Golden Bears would see the Colonels take game one after they scored three runs in the top of the seventh and won the game 5-4. Game two saw the Golden Bears avenge the loss of game one. Riley Kane threw a complete game, three strikeout game, giving up just one run. Shea McDaniel led the Golden Bears from the plate by going 2-for-3, which included a first-career Golden Bear home run. WNE took game two 5-1.

Game 1: Curry College 5, Western New England 4

The teams started the game with a defensive battle. The Colonels started the game with a double to left center field before a walk put two runners on base with no outs. However, WNE pitcher Ava Blanchard would get the next two batters to pop out and strike out the final batter of the first inning. The first WNE batter would walk, but Jillian Rogers would strike out the next two batters before an error got a second runner on for the Golden Bears. However, a foul out would end the first inning. The second saw the first Colonels' batter get on base before a pinch runner would get to third with one out. That is where Blanchard would keep the runner by getting the next two batters out, with one of the outs being Blanchard's second strikeout. The Golden Bears would send three up to the plate in the bottom of the second, but Rogers would get the first out and strike out the next two to keep the game stuck at 0-0 after two innings. The third saw Blanchard keep the Colonels from scoring once again. The Colonels would get a runner on base with one out, but Blanchard got the second batter to fly out and struck out the final batter of the inning. The Golden Bears got their first batter on via a hit by pitch, but Rogers would get the next two batters out and struck out the fourth and final WNE batter. The Colonels would see three batters all get retired by Blanchard in the top of the fourth before the Golden Bears broke the tie in the bottom of the inning. The first two WNE batters of the fourth inning would get on base before Gracie Hemstock gave WNE a 1-0 lead with a double to the left-center field fence. That double brought Nicolina Solanto home, but Riley Kane would be thrown out at home to keep the Golden Bears from scoring more than one run. That was the only run the Golden Bears would get, and the fourth ended with WNE leading 1-0. The top of the fifth saw the Colonels respond with two runs of their own. They would have a runner on second with two outs. Then, a fly ball from Rogers would get dropped in the outfield, which scored the game-tying run. The next batter would send a hit into left field. Rogers would score on a misthrow, and Curry led 2-1 after the top of the fifth inning. The Golden Bears were not shaken, though. Shea McDaniel sent a hit into right field for a triple. Then, Angelees Carrasquillo slapped a double down the left field line to tie the game at 2-2. Carrasquillo would get to third but would not get home as the final two batters of the inning would both get struck out by Rogers. The top of the sixth would see a battle between Blanchard and the Colonel batters, including a thirteen-pitch walk for one batter, but Blanchard would battle through a two-on, two-out situation to bring the Golden Bear offense to the plate still tied 2-2. The offense would produce in the bottom of the sixth for WNE. With a runner on first and one out, Kim Baumann launched a hit into deep right field for a triple, bringing Riley Kane home to give WNE the 3-2 lead. Brianna Cardona extended that lead with a single into right-center field. Riley Kane ran home, and WNE had a 4-2 lead. Caitlyn Wood would enter as the Colonels' pitcher with two runners on base and two outs. WNE would load the bases after that with a single, but Wood would get the next batter out, and the teams entered the seventh inning with WNE leading 4-2. The Colonels would not shy away from the competition, though. A single and a double to start the top of the seventh would give the Colonels their third run, with Jillian Rogers hitting the RBI double. Then, after two walks, the Colonels loaded the bases with no outs. Riley Kane would enter as the WNE pitcher. Kane would get the first batter faced out. However, Karlie Pontes would hit a single through the right side of the infield, which brought two runners home. Curry led 5-4. That is how the score would be entering the bottom of the seventh. The Golden Bears would get a runner to first base but could not bring the runner home, and Curry College would take game one, 5-4.

Around the Diamond:

  • The Colonels were led at the plate by Karlie Pontes, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
  • Renee Gonneville and Jillian Rogers both had extra-base hits. Both hits were doubles.
  • Jillian Rogers and Kaitlyn Wood combined to give up seven hits and four runs. Rogers collected nine strikeouts.
  • The Golden Bears had seven players get a hit.
  • Angelees Carrasquillo and Gracie Hemstock collected doubles.
  • Kim Baumann and Shea McDaniel collected triples.
  • Ava Blanchard and Riley Kane pitched for the Golden Bears, let up five hits and two earned runs, and struck out four batters.
  • WNE dropped the first game 5-4.

Game 2: Western New England 5, Curry College 1

Game two began with Riley Kane sitting down the Colonels one, two, three, with the first and third batters striking out. The Golden Bears would start the game with runs quicker than game one. They would score two in the first via a Nicolina Solanto single to right-center field and an Alex Ferriouolo sacrifice fly to center field. That brought Angelees Carrasquillo and Riley Kane home. WNE led 2-0 after the first inning. The Colonels would see their first batter of the second earn a hit, but Kane would sit the next three batters down in order, with the second batter getting struck out. WNE would add to their two-run lead by tacking two more runs on in the second. After a Kim Baumann double, WNE had runners on second and third with no outs. Shea McDaniel singled to left field to bring home Evelyn Picone. Then, a sacrifice fly ball from Angelees Carrasquillo would bring Baumann home to give WNE a 4-0 lead. That score would stand going into the third as Morgan Barmash would get the final out after the left fielder was able to get a double play on the sacrifice fly ball after throwing the WNE runner out at third. The third started with Kane sitting the Colonels down one, two, three once again. The bottom of the inning saw the Golden Bears put two runners on base, but Jannelle Munoz, the Curry College relief pitcher, would get out of the inning without a run being scored. The Colonels would see a similar situation arise in the top of the fourth, as they had back-to-back singles and got two runners on, but Kane would get out of the inning without giving up a run. The bottom of the fourth saw WNE extend their lead further thanks to a Shea McDaniel leadoff home run to left field. That was WNE's first home run of the season and McDaniel's first career home run. Kane followed that by getting the Colonels out one, two, three. The Golden Bears could not add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth as Munoz faced three WNE batters and got each out. The Colonels would get a run back in the top of the sixth thanks to a Natalia O'Kleasky single to right field. With a runner on second, that runner would get home, and WNE's lead was cut to 5-1. Neither pitcher would let another runner get on base as Munoz got the three WNE batters out in the bottom of the sixth, and Kane ended the game by seeing three batters and getting each one out. WNE would win game two 5-1.

Around the Diamond:

  • Shea McDaniel led the Golden Bears from the plate by going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
  • Kim Baumann recorded the other Golden Bear extra-base hit, a double.
  • Riley Kane earned the Golden Bears the win from the pitching circle by only letting up six hits, one earned run, and striking out three batters.
  • Natalia O'Kleasky led the Colonels with a 3-for-3 performance from the plate, which included the solo RBI for Curry College in game two.
  • Morgan Barmash and Jannelle Munoz combined to give up six hits and five runs, and Munoz struck out three batters for the Colonels.
  • WNE won game two 5-1.

Up Next:

The Golden Bears will return to the diamond on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM, as they travel to Dudley, Massachusetts, for a conference doubleheader versus Nichols College.

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