The Massachusetts softball team found the right hit at the right time, generating a mid-game spark for a 2-1 win over Brown. The Minutewomen (15-24, 6-12 Mid-American) put themselves back into the win column with a big defensive performance and a sequence of creative offensive plays that stumped the Bears (11-20, 4-8 Ivy League).
A single and steal from Lily Woodworth, followed by a walk to second base for Tiegan Walsh, set UMass up in a prime scoring position.
Katheirne Heslin, in her second at-bat, stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third base. The sophomore skipped the ball right at Alyssa Villarde, who fumbled the ground ball, batting Woodworth and Walsh home for two scores.
“Every at-bat is an opportunity for us to get better and learn,” head coach Danielle Henderson said. “I think this group has taken that to heart and [has] been using it to their advantage.”
Brown’s lead started with Elli Thompson. She whacked a fly ball that soared along the foul line, just past the diving catch attempt from Riley Kairer, giving the Canadian time to slide into third base, called safe by the skin of her teeth. Thompson was batted in after Villarde’s line drive straight down the middle.
Besides the two RBIs from Heslin, there wasn’t much action on the offensive side for the Minutewomen, but big plays on defense kept the margins slim.
In the sixth inning, the Bears had Kaicee Klus on first with no outs. Abby Bettencourt sent a solid strike down the center, but Odyssey Torres read it perfectly. She picked up the ground ball, stepped on second and threw it to Angie Rama on first for two outs.
Defensive efforts from Torres and Rama were the highlights for UMass. Torres was all over the ground balls, racking up six assists and two putouts. Rama held it down on first base with 10 putouts.
Kelsey Blanchette saw her first full game pitching for the Minutewomen since Feb 20. Despite some cracks under the pressure of the third inning, the freshman kept her composure, only letting up four hits and walking two batters.
“[Blanchette’s] been battling a little bit of an injury, so it was good to be able to get her out there again, see batters and get on the mound,” Henderson said.
Macy Borowski came into the game for Brown, hoping to gain some confidence back after giving up seven runs in two innings against Harvard. However, her cold streak continues. The walk and wild pitch in the fourth inning ended the junior’s day on the mound. Edie Cobb finished up for the Bears, pitching two walks and one hit.
UMass will look to improve on offense as it gets back to conference play with a series against Akron. Staying consistent throughout those conference series has been troublesome for the Minutewomen, as their only series win came against Buffalo earlier this month.
“I want to see them have the confidence and know that they can get the series,” Henderson said.
UMass will finish the week back at Sortino Field on Friday, April 17, at 2 p.m., playing the first of the three-game series against the Zips. The Minutewomen will close out with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18. Those games will start at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. All three games can be streamed on ESPN+.
Shelby Ball can be reached at [email protected].
