Minutewomen Score Eight Unanswered To Cap Off Sweep of La Salle

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
La Salle	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	2
Massachusetts	0	0	0	2	1	5	X	8	10	1

La Salle

Massachusetts

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts softball team scored eight unanswered runs on their way to an 8-2 win to complete a three-game sweep of La Salle on opening weekend at Sortino Field. The Minutewomen (18-14 Overall, 6-1 Atlantic 10) finished the game with 10 hits, led by Alyssa Lyon's two hits and four RBI as the sophomore drove in four for the second straight contest.

La Salle jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after plating a single run in both the first and second innings. Kaycee Carbone helped limit the damage in the first inning by throwing out a runner at the plate before the Explorers scored an unearned run in the top of the second.

Quinn Breidenbach earned the win in relief to move to 7-2 on the year, entering in relief of Kenadee Rausch in the top of the third inning on her way to tossing 5.0 innings of shutout softball while allowing three hits and striking out four. Breidenbach retired eight straight batters after entering the game and picked up a key strikeout in the sixth with a runner on third before a groundout ended the frame to keep UMass ahead by a run.

Lyon's first two of four RBI came in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Minutewomen tied things up at 2-2 on her two-RBI triple to right center field.

UMass took its first lead in their next trip to the plate in the fifth as Caroline Videtto came through with a full-count, two-out RBI single up the middle to score Kaitlyn Stavinoha and put the Minutewomen up 3-2. Videtto finished with a pair of hits to extend her hitting streak to five games since entering the starting lineup.

The Minutewomen broke things open in the bottom half of the sixth with five runs on five hits, putting on early pressure after back-to-back walks opened the frame before Stavinoha drove in Jackie Kelley with a RBI single up the middle. Carbone's second of two hits added another the following at-bat as the senior send a hard-hit liner to right field to put UMass up 5-2.

A pinch-hitting Danielle Ellis drove in another as the freshman singled up the middle to score Stavinoha before Videtto reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Lyon's second two-RBI base knock drove in both Hannah Bunker and Riley Gregoire to bring the count to a final 8-2.

Erin Stacevicz added a run and a hit for the Minutewomen, picking up her 223rd career hit to leadoff the fifth inning as she moved into possession of fourth on the UMass career hit list.

The Minutewomen will remain at home on Sortino Field this week as they play host to Central Connecticut State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in a midweek matchup before hosting George Washington in a three-game series this weekend.

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