Softball Opens Up A-10 Championships With Five-Inning Win Over SLU

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Saint Louis	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
Massachusetts	1	2	4	1	X	8	10	0

Saint Louis

Massachusetts

BRONX, N.Y. – Eight different Minutewomen recorded base hits while Meg Colleran held a perfect game through the first 13 batters as the University of Massachusetts softball team opened up the 2018 Atlantic 10 Softball Championships with an 8-0 win over No. 5-seed Saint Louis in five. The Minutewomen (34-12 Overall) provided a cushion for Colleran in the circle from their first at-bat as they plated a run in the bottom of the first before scoring multiple runs in the second and third frames.

Colleran retired the first 13 batters of the game, sending Saint Louis (28-28) down in order in each of the first three innings. The senior allowed just two hits while striking out three in five innings of work on her way to picking up her 14th win of the season on her birthday.

Jena Cozza opened up the first at-bat for UMass with her first of two hits, sending a single to left before moving over on a wild pitch and an Erin Stacevicz sacrifice bunt. Cozza came in to score the first run of the game with two outs as Melissa Garcia reached on an error by the Billiken shortstop to keep the inning going.

The Minutewomen added two more in the following at-bat after another leadoff hit helped spark a scoring inning, beginning with an Amy Smith single. After a Riley Gregoire walk, Cozza drove in her first two of three RBI with a double to right center field to put UMass ahead 3-0.

The onslaught continued in the bottom of the third inning as Kaycee Carbone smacked her seventh homer of the season to leadoff the frame, sending a solo shot to right center field as the Minutewomen went on to add three more runs. Kaitlyn Stavinoha and Hannah Bunker each recorded RBI singles in consecutive at-bats to push the lead to 6-0 before Cozza walked in a run with the bases loaded. UMass went on to walk in another bases-loaded run with three straight passes as Bunker reached to bring the score to a final 8-0.

The Minutewomen will continue play at the A-10 Championships tomorrow at noon against the winner of this afternoon's game between No. 2-seed Fordham and No. 6-seed George Washington.

For complete coverage of the UMass softball team, follow the Minutewomen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassSoftball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.

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