WESTFIELD, Mass. (April 16, 2026) – WNE traveled to Westfield, MA, for their annual showdown with the Owls of Westfield State University. The Golden Bears would not get out to the start they would have liked to in game one, but made a comeback to lead 6-5 before the Owls hit a walkoff single to win game one, 7-6. Game two saw the Golden Bears grab two leads but could not hold either one, and they fell, 5-2.
Game One:
Score:
- Western New England: 6
- Westfield State University: 7
How it Happened:
First Inning:
- The Golden Bears got on the scoreboard early, taking a 1-0 lead thanks to Riley Kane hitting into a fielder's choice, which allowed Marley Rodriguez to score after another leadoff double.
- The Owls would answer, though. An error on a Kassidy LaTour hit scored Rylie Camacho before Mia Alfonso stole home on a throw down to second to try to catch LaTour stealing. WNE trailed 2-1.
Second Inning:
- The Golden Bears were sat down one, two, three in the second before the Owls extended their lead by two. A Sarah Hough single led to an overthrow, and Hannah Reilly and Ryle Camacho scored. WNE trailed 4-1 after two innings.
Third Inning:
- Another inning unfortunately, saw another run go on the board for the Owls. After the Golden Bears could not chip into the lead, Kassidy LaTour launched a solo homerun over the left-field fence, and WSU led 5-1.
Fourth Inning:
- The fourth saw Riley Kane and the Golden Bears silence the Owls' bats. Katelyn Bailey had a double for WNE, but it would not lead to a run. Then, Kane sat the Owls down one, two, three while picking up one more strikeout.
Fifth Inning:
- The fifth inning was all about WNE. After a pitching change for the Owls, the Golden Bears went on a one-out rally, with Riley Kane hitting a single to left field with the bases loaded, scoring Shea McDaniel and Katherine Brooks.
- Then, with runners on second and third, Nicolina Salanto hit a single to shortstop, scoring Alyssa Ferriouolo to cut the lead to one before Angelees Carrasquillo drove Riley Kane home. WNE had tied the game at five with only one out in the fifth inning.
- The next batter, Ava Barnhart, would hit a sacrifice fly ball against a new pitcher for WSU, and score Keira Czarkowski to give WNE the 6-5 lead in the fifth. A lead that was preserved in the bottom of the inning by Riley Kane, who sat the Owls down in order.
Sixth Inning:
- Neither team's offense had much success in the sixth. All three Golden Bears struck out, and Kane would strike out two of the four batters face to bring up the seventh inning, with WNE ahead by one run.
Seventh Inning:
- After getting the first runner on base, the Golden Bears had three consecutive outs, and the Owls had three outs to extend the game. Kane would pick up two of the outs, but a single to left field by Kassidy LaTour with the bases loaded drove Hannah Wodecki and Kalisa Pomfret home to win the game for the Owls after Pomfret was called safe on a very close play at the plate. WSU won 7-6.
Inside the Diamond:
- The Golden Bears fell in game one 7-6.
- Rylie Camacho led the Owls at the plate by going 3-for-4.
- Kassidy LaTour went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including the walkoff single, which scored two.
- Riley Kane and Katelyn Bailey both went 2-for-4, with Bailey having a double and Kane having three RBIs.
- Kane pitched all seven innings for WNE, earning five strikeouts.
Game Two:
Score:
- Western New England: 2
- Westfield State University: 5
How it Happened:
First Inning:
- WNE grabbed their second consecutive first-inning lead thanks to a Riley Kane single to center field. Katherine Brooks scored on the hit, and WNE led 1-0.
- That lead was squashed in the bottom of the inning as Mia Alfonso singled and Sarah Hough scored. The score was tied at one after one.
Second Inning:
- Marley Rodriguez would give the Golden Bears the lead back with a sacrifice fly ball, which scored Ava Barnhart. The Golden Bears had a 2-1 lead, which held through the bottom of the inning, thanks to Brianna Cardona in the pitching circle.
Third Inning:
- WNE would find their first runner on base in the third, but a double play ended any chance at a third consecutive inning with a run. Then, the hero from game one, Kassidy LaTour, doubled and drove Hannah Wodecki home to tie the game at two.
Fourth Inning:
- Again, WNE got the first batter on base, but once again, could not capitalize. The same happened to the Owls in the bottom of the inning, and the score stayed where it was.
Fifth Inning:
- The Golden Bears got shut down in the fifth inning, the third consecutive inning since they earned their lead. Then, the owls saw Sarah Hough hit a leadoff home run over the left-field fence, and Caroline O'Donnell and both Alfonso and LaTour scored. WNE trailed 5-2.
Sixth Inning:
- WNE had a great chance when they got their first two runners on base without an out in the sixth. However, a double play ended their threat to score. The Owls couldn't extend their lead either in the bottom of the inning.
Seventh Inning:
- With three outs left, WNE earned a runner on base before two consecutive outs to end the contest with WNE getting swept in the doubleheader. WNE dropped the second contest 5-2.
Inside the Diamond:
- The Owls swept the Golden Bears with their 5-2 win in game two.
- Sarah Hough and Mia Alfonso both went 2-for-3, with an RBI in the second contest. Hough's two hits were a double and a homerun.
- Caroline O'Donnell led the Owls with two RBIs from a double in the fifth inning.
- Riley Kane went 3-for-4, with an RBI for the Golden Bears.
- Marley Rodriguez was credited with the other WNE RBI.
- Angelina Vartuli was credited with the win, pitching four innings, letting up five hits and no earned runs, striking out one batter.
Up Next:
WNE will host a conference doubleheader versus the Hawks of Roger Williams University. The teams will play on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at noon and 2:00 PM at Golden Bear Softball Park.
