In their last games in the month of March this season, softball won both games in dramatic fashion over the Regis College Pride. Junior Eryn Sheeley and first-year Abigail Fortin each tossed complete games in 5-4 and 4-3 contests respectively. A single big inning in each game by the Lasers gave them enough to overcome the Pride.
“Once we see that we’re really starting to string some hits together, we go out there and just start to come together as a team,” said Fortin.
Against what most expect, Sheeley did not have her usual shutdown first inning. A single to left by the leadoff hitter, Bianca Burke, was then followed with a two-run homerun that skimmed the top of the fence in left field by senior Andria Braga.
After going down by two in the first, the Lasers were able to scrape across a run in the second when Sheeley walked and scored when senior Matara Tamzarian reached on an error. The Lasers then exploded for four runs in the third inning. Graduate student Brianna Gendreau singled. Sophomore Mackenzie Still then tripled, followed by a no-doubt home run by junior Katie Hopkins. Sheeley then walked and was batted in by a triple from junior Ally Kirck.
Since that point, Sheeley did not give up a hit until the fifth inning when Burke tripled, only to be stranded on third. Sheeley then gave up three straight singles to seniors Kayla Morrill, Ciara Collins, and junior Chloe Beland, with Morrill scoring on Beland’s hit. Sheeley tied her personal best with 12 strikeouts through her seven innings.
“I just had to wipe the first inning from my memory,” Sheeley said. “We’ve been working really hard as a team that when those bad things happen and other teams our scoring runs, we just have to overcome that.”
In the second contest, Regis started strongly again with Andria Braga reaching on a walk and being batted in with a single by senior Ciara Collins. The Lasers would then score four runs unanswered in the third and fourth innings.
First-year, Alyssa Bland was driven in on an RBI single by sophomore Emily Mestas. Mestas would then score on an RBI double by Gendreau. In the following inning Mestas would drive in both first-year Grace Stephenson and Kirck. Mestas went two for four with a pair of singles, three runs batted in, and a run scored.
“After talking with my coaches, we knew what was wrong and how I could adjust, so after doing work individually in between games off the tee I just felt way more confident," Mestas said.
Regis fought back in fifth with a double by Braga who was singled in by Morrill. Beland then added an RBI single to put Regis down by just one run. Fortin then only allowed one base runner through the last two innings to seal the sweep for the Lasers.
The Lasers will play their next double header on Sunday against Simmons University on the road.