Wildcats fall to Nighthawks in Softball NECC Double Header Action

LONGMEADOW, Mass.- Bay Path for the second time in the past week hosted an away game at home to help out their New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) opponents' the Nighthawks of Newbury who due to weather were unable to use their home field. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the Nighthawks left with two conference wins. Bay Path lost 5-4 in eight innings in the opener and fell 11-5 in the nightcap today. The Wildcats are now 6-9 on the season and 2-2 in the NECC, while Newbury opened up conference play at 2-0 and are 5-9 overall.

The Wildcats held the lead until the bottom of the 6^th when the Nighthawks tied it up 4-4 when scoring two unearned runs. They would take advantage of the runner placed on in the eighth and senior Naomi Ricciotti (Phoenix, Ariz.) would score the winning run off a freshman Arianna Gooden (Bakersfield, Calif.) single to centerfield.

Three Wildcats would finish 2-for-4 in the opener including junior shortstop Lauren Vallee (Bristol, Conn.), freshman infielder Lilly West (Goshen, Mass.) and senior second base person Gretchen Hale (Naugatuck , Conn.). Vallee and West each recorded RBI's along with senior infielder Krystal Fredette (Orange, Mass.).

Sophomore infielder Noelle Sass (Randolph, Mass.) launched a homerun in the bottom of the first. Sophomore pitcher Alina Milauskas (Elkridge, Md.) earned the win giving up ten hits and four runs, fanning four and walking two for the game. Sophomore hurler Madison Goodhart (Pawtucket, R.I.) suffered the loss giving up four runs, only two earned, on eight hits.  She walked three and struck out one batter.

In the nightcap, Newbury was led by Gooden and freshman pitcher Mallory Stefan (Thornton, Colo.). Gooden went 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI, while Stefan had three RBI's going 2-for-3 with one run. Milauskas had three runs and one RBI.

Bay Path's Vallee again had two hits and two runs. Sophomore outfielder Marissa Sarna-McCarthy (Westhampton, Mass.) finished with two hits, one run and one RBI.  Sophomore infielder Katrina Peck (Newington, Conn.) led the way going 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Stefan grabbed the victory giving up five runs, only three earned, on eight hits. She fanned three and walked three for her seven innings of work. Freshman Felicia Gaillardetz (Londonderry, N.H.) tossed six innings giving up 11 runs (six earned) on 10 hits. She took the loss walking eight and striking out three batters.