Softball Ends Season with 2-1 Setback to Westfield State at MASCAC Tournament

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Kayla Soucie's (North Easton, Mass.) walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted third-seeded Westfield State University to a 2-1 victory over #4 Bridgewater State University in an elimination game at the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament on Saturday at Rockwood Park.

The Owls (16-19) advance to the loser's bracket final of the double elimination tournament later this afternoon at 4:00 PM. The Bears end the season with an overall record of 18-19.

With the score knotted at 1-1 with one out in the bottom of the seventh, former Bear Angelica Banning (East Granby, Conn.) singled up the middle and advanced to third when Michaela LeBlanc followed with a base hit through the right side. Soucie, who was called on to pinch hit, then drove a fly ball to right and Banning tagged up and raced home with the game-winning run.

Westfield had taken an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Maddy Atkocaitis (Westfield, Mass.) in the bottom of the first inning.

Bridgewater tied it in the top of the fourth on Jenny Heller's (Taunton, Mass. RBI single. Courtney Gouveia (Taunton, Mass.) followed with a base hit to load the bases with one out, but WSU starter Emily Arrendondo (Woburn, Mass.) worked out of the jam without any further damage.

Arredondo worked the first four innings, but did not figure in the decision. She allowed just the one run on five hits with two strikeouts. Emily Woodworth (Marlborough, Mass.) picked up the win in relief for the Owls. Woodworth (7-10) scattered three hits over three scoreless innings.

Natalie Sorrenti (Bridgewater, Mass.) pitched well in the setback for the Bears. Sorrenti (9-4) went the distance in the circle allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work.

Heller, Meghan Navarro (Taunton, Mass.) and Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.) finished with two hits apiece to pace the Bears' eight-hit attack. Heller singled twice in three at bats and drove in BSU's only run, while Grindle went 2-for-3. Navarro finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run.

Bridgewater stranded seven runners on base.

Banning went 2-for-3 and scored the winning run to highlight the Westfield offense.