SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts The American International College softball team faced Southern New Hampshire University in a doubleheader on Friday April 4 at Judy Groff Field.
The game was initially supposed to be played at SNHU, but was moved to Springfield due to field conditions. The Yellow Jackets were able to defend their home field, sweeping SNHU by scores of 3-0 and 6-0.
Sarah Beliveau started in the circle for AIC and Maddy Barone started for SNHU. Both pitchers were solid through the first two innings, but AIC managed to get on the scoreboard first by scoring in the third inning.
Freshman Lydia DePena doubled to start the inning. Barone got the next two batters, and looked like she was going to get out of the inning, but Alexa DiLeo had other ideas. DiLeo hit a home run over the left field fence, putting AIC up 2-0 and giving her team total control over the game.
AIC tacked on another run in the sixth as Yami Lopez-Perez hit a single up the middle to start the inning and then reached second a sacrifice bunt from Kayla Riley. A hard-hit single by Kristen Steele scored Lopez-Perez as SNHU left fielder Jessica Torsiello misread the grounder and it slipped under her glove.
That was the end of Barone's day as she gave up two runs, eight hits and struck out two in five and 2/3 innings. Gabriella Vachon came in to pitch for the Penmen and got out of the inning.
Beliveau gave up two hits in the seventh but no damage came out of it and she wrapped up her shutout gem, and the Yellow Jackets won the first game 3-0.
Jillian Bedard started in the circle for the Yellow Jackets in the second game, while Vachon started for SNHU and struggled to find her groove and AIC got to her right from the start.
Cartwright started the inning with an infield single and then Baganz singled to give the Jackets two runners. A DiLeo single loaded the bases, and then a bases-clearing double from Riley followed, putting AIC up 3-0. Kempf doubled to score Riley and that was it for Vachon, as her day ended before the end of the first, as she gave up four runs and struck out two.
In the second inning, Baganz walked with two out, and then a huge two-out triple from Lopez-Perez scored her, putting AIC up 5-0 at the end of two.
After four scoreless innings from Bedard, Alyssa Camargo took over in the circle to try and close out the game for the Yellow Jackets.
AIC got on the scoreboard again in the sixth as Jess Lingenberg got on with a single between the third baseman and shortstop. Then Kaley Kempf singled down the right field line and gave AIC first and second. Steele attempted a sacrifice bunt but SNHU committed a throwing error, which allowed Lingenberg to score.
Lingenberg's run was the final one of the game as AIC won the game 6-0 and swept the Penmen. Bedard got the win for the Yellow Jackets, Vachon got the loss and Camargo got the save. This was AIC's first time shutting out a team for both games of a doubleheader this season.
AIC is now 9-11 (5-3) and will face Franklin Pierce in a doubleheader at Judy Groff Field on Sunday, April 9, for its next game.
