WESTFIELD, Mass. -- McCann Tech alumna Alanza Quinones belted a three-run homer in Game Two to help the MCLA softball team salvage a split with Westfield State Wednesday afternoon in MASCAC action.

 

Game One

In the opener,the Owls scored two runs in the second, four in the third and two in the fifth.

 

Emily Arredondo (4-6) pitched a complete game for the win, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out two.

 

MCLA trailed 8-1 entering the top of the seventh inning, but pushed across three runs in the seventh on RBI singles from Kaitlyn Berghela and Kaylin Holliday.

 

Blazers' starter Samantha Feinstein took the pitching loss.

 

Game Two

The nightcap was a pitchers' duel, as MCLA's Morgan Watson kept the Owls off the scoreboard on just four hits through five innings, before being relieved by Kara Adams to start the sixth.

 

The Owls got a towering solo home run from Kayla Soucie in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 1-1.

 

Westfield State starter Kara Fluet tossed six innings. She allowed a single run in the top of the first as Adams led off with base hit, and later scored on  Quinnones' base hit, but from there shut down the Trailblazers. Fluet allowed six hits and four walks, but worked around runners on base in each inning, punctuating the fifth inning with a strikeout to end the frame, then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, as Soucie threw out one runner at the plate and the Owls ended the inning on a line-drive double play.

 

Arredondo relieved Fluet to start the seventh, but was greeted with a leadoff double from Berghela, who scored what proved to be the game winnin fin on Nevada Nelson's groundout, then Quinnones followed with a three-run home run to left that essentially put the game out of reach.

 

Adams (1-9) picked up her first win of the season in relief, while Arredondo took the loss.

 

MCLA (6-18, 1-5 MASCAC) hosts Mass Maritime on Saturday.

 

Baseball

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- The MCLA baseball dropped a pair of games to MASCAC foe Westfield State Wednesday afternoon.

 

The Trailblazers fell 9-2 in the opener and then a late rally fell just short in a 3-1 setback in the nightcap. The Owls improve to 14-7 overall and are now 7-2 in the league. MCLA is 6-17 overall and are still in search of a conference win at 0-8.

 

Game One

The Owls took control of this one as they turned a 1-0 second inning deficit into a 4-1 lead and never looked back to cruise to the win. MCLA scored first on Antonio Archina's single to left field brought home Logan Rumbolt off Westfield starter Alex Honey. Honey avoided further damage and the Owl offense would get to Trailblazer starter Mike Urbanski in the bottom half.

 

Casey Boudreau doubled home three runs with two outs to give the Owls a 3-1 advantage. He came around to score on Colin Dunn's double and the hosts led 4-1.  

 

Westfield added five runs in the fourth inning and chased Urbanski in the process. Dunn collected another RBI hit while Nick Martin connected on a two-run single to increase the lead to 7-1. Alex Benevides drove home two more runs to up the margin to 9-1.

 

Honey kept MCLA in check during his five innings of work to improve to 4-0 on the season. He allowed just four hits and struck out three Trailblazers.  

 

Taconic graduate Austin Rachiele had two hits to pace MCLA's offense in the opener.

 

Game Two

In the nightcap, the Owls continued their offensive surge as they got to MCLA starter Ryan Ruef (Lee High) for two runs in the bottom of the first. Aaron Clancy's two run double gave the hosts an early 2-0 lead.

 

From there, Westfield's Patrick Jordan and Ruef engaged in a pitchers duel.

 

Neither team would mount much offense against either starter and MCLA finally clawed back with a run in the sixth inning. Ben Durland doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He came around to score on a balk to cut the deficit to 2-1.

 

Westfield added a key insurance tally on Brett Dooley's sac fly in the bottom half off MCLA reliever Tyler Wade to make it 3-1 heading to the seventh.

 

The Owls summoned John Gegetskas out of the bullpen to nail down a save. MCLA had other ideas as Jake Ferrara and Drury graduate Logan Rumbolt led off with singles putting the tying runs on base. Hoosac Valley grad Dahndray Sistrunk pinch hit and moved the runners up with a perfect sacrifice bunt and brought Dan Buchanan to the dish. Gegetskas recorded a key strikeout of Buchanan for the second out and then retired Durland on a fly ball to left to preserve the win for the Owls and earn the save.

 

Jordan (1-1) earned his first win of 2019 going the first six innings and striking out three batters. Nick Martin paced the Owl offense with two hits.

 

MCLA's Ruef went a career high five innings and allowed six hits and just two earned runs. Rumbolt collected two hits in the loss.

 

The Trailblazers are back in action on Friday when they head to Mass. Maritime Academy to open a three-game series.