Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DUDLEY, Mass. (Mar. 21) – The Nichols College softball team split its home opening doubleheader with visiting Westfield State University Wednesday afternoon. The Owls held onto an early lead for a 1-0 win in the first game, and Nichols scored four runs in the sixth inning of the second game for a 7-5 victory. Both teams stand at 5-4 on the year.

Westfield State pitcher Madeline Tomich allowed one hit and struck out 15 while walking just one in the opener. She and the Owls allowed only three baserunners after the first inning. Kerin DeGirolamo followed up a Kelsey Carpenter one-out triple with a sac fly in the top of the first to score the only run of the game.

Molly Ferraro struck out eight and scattered four hits in the complete-game effort.

The Owls used four hits and a two-run single from Sarah Pliszka in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead, but ended the inning with the bases loaded for the second time in the game.

Nichols took the lead in the bottom of the fourth using back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from Savannah Thibault and Kylie Langton to follow up a run-scoring single from Emalee Watkins.

A rundown play at home prevented the Owls from tying the score in the fifth, but Westfield tied things up in the sixth on back-to-back two-out doubles from Carpenter and DeGirolamo. Nichols quickly got two out in the inning when Courtney Begin hit a line drive that deflected off of Bison pitcher Taylor Ferrazzi and into the glove of a diving Thibault near second base. The senior then flipped it back to first to double up Molly Dunbar, who led off the inning with a walk.

Nichols started the bottom of the inning with four consecutive singles, and took advantage of two errors to score the first two of four runs in the frame. Emalee Watkins led off the frame with a single and scored when Chelsea Correia took two extra bases on her single from an outfield error. Thibault followed up with a base knock and stole second put runners on second and third for Langton, who reached when Correia scored on a misplay at the plate. Rebecca Palmarozza drove in Thibault with a hit just over the second baseman's head, and Avery Orszulak came through with a two-out RBI single to finish out the Bison's scoring.

Westfield wasn't finished, as Breanne Bisceglia drew a leadoff walk and found third on a Pliszka double to right. A sac fly from Kelly Kenney plated Bisceglia and Pliszka scored on a single by Kerry Alcott. Ferrazzi got Dunbar to fly out for the second out, but Begin reached on an error. Carpenter was the tying run at the plate, but hit a sharp line drive directly into the glove of Langton at third base.

Ferrazzi scattered nine hits and walked six in her first collegiate complete game and win. Emily Mailloux pitched the first 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Alcott took the loss in relief, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits.

Nichols opens Commonwealth Coast Conference play Saturday with a 1 p.m. home doubleheader against Salve Regina. Westfield State hosts Elms Thursday at 4 p.m.


Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score