Quinones homers to lead Softball to a split with Westfield in MASCAC action

Courtesy of Westfield State Sports Information

Westfield, MA- MCLA's Alanza Quinones belted a three run homer in game two to help the Trailblazer softball team salvage a split with Westfield State this afternoon in MASCAC action.  Westfield won game 1 by an 8-4 final, but the Trailblazers rallied late to win game-two by a 5-1 score, with Quinones key hit the decisive blow.

In the opener, Meunier delivered three RBI singles, as the Owls scored two runs in the second, four in the third and two in the fifth, with Meunier factoring in each time.  Mastello had three singles and scored three runs.

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 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 Alanza 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.

Westfield will be back in action on Saturday, hosting a conference doubleheader with Mass. Maritime.