Softball Falls Twice at Framingham State

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – The MCLA Softball team opened a stretch of games that will be a major test of the growth of the Trailblazers under second-year coach Zack Farber as they open a stretch of eight games in nine days against teams expected to finish second through fifth in the MASCAC, starting with today's matchup at Framingham State.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
• Game #1: MCLA 0, FSU 5
• Game #2: MCLA 1, FSU 9
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 14-10 (MASCAC 4-2) | Framingham State University Rams 9-13 (MASCAC 5-3)
• Series History: Framingham State leads the all-time series 48-45. The Rams swept the doubleheader between the teams in Framingham in their last meeting by scores of 6-1 and 5-4 on April 4, 2025. The teams first met on May 11, 1976, but the results have been lost to history.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Game #1
  • The Trailblazers' Allie Mienaltowski (Delanson, NY) limited Framingham to just six hits over six innings, striking out seven without allowing a walk, but was let down by her offense, which only managed two hits.
  • The Rams opened the scoring in the second inning, pushing one run across after Ava Gray led off with a double, and then scored three batters later when Gianna Paolino reached on an error.
  • In the fourth inning, Framingham posted the big inning of the game, scoring three runs on two hits, while capitalizing on two errors. Jocelyn Pepe's RBI single to left scored Eliza Carignan, and two more runs scored when Peyton Ferris reached on an error, allowing Pepe and Amanda Roche to complete the circuit.
  • Roche provided FSU with an additional insurance run in the fifth with an RBI single to center field.
  • MCLA was limited to just two hits, lead-off singles by Samantha Wheeler (Agawam, MA) in the sixth and Maggie Closinski (Rome, NY) in the seventh.
  • Ferris went the distance for the Rams, allowing only the two hits while striking out six to improve to 4-4. Mienaltowski suffered the defeat, for the visitors falling to 6-5.
• Game #2
  • Framingham opened the scoring for the second straight game with a single run in the second inning when Audrey Gauthier singled to right field to score Pepe.
  • FSU's offense came alive in the third frame, posting five runs on five hits. The biggest blows were a two-run homer by Carignan, an RBI single by Pepe, and a two-run double by Gauthier.
  • The Trailblazers scratched their run across in the fourth when Amelia Leasure's (Pittsfield, MA) two-out single was followed by a double to left field by Paxton Ebling (Pittsfield, MA).
  • Framingham would get that run and more back, adding insurance two runs in the bottom of the frame on a double by Pepe, and another in the fifth on a double by Ellie Etemad-Gilbertson to end the game.
  • Gautheir moved to 5-7, scattering four hits over five innings while striking out seven for the Rams. MCLA's Hannah Gilbert (Colrain, MA) absorbed the loss to fall to 6-4.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With her seventh-inning leadoff single in game #1 of today's doubleheader at Framingham State, MCLA's Maggie Closinski became the 20th player in the Trailblazers Softball program's 53-year history to reach 100 career hits.

UP NEXT:

On Tuesday, MCLA will be back in action when it plays host to Westfield State at Shewcraft Field for a MASCAC matchup with the Owls. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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