DANBURY, Conn. - Senior LHP
Olivia Bordenaro (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) pitched a complete game with six strikeouts and zero walks to lead the Western Connecticut State University Wolves to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Plymouth State University Panthers in Little East Conference (LEC) softball action this evening at Westside Field. WestConn, which lost the first game of the doubleheader, 2-1, was playing in its first home games of the spring and wearing pink accessories to promote breast cancer awareness. The Wolves are now 6-8 overall and 1-1 in the LEC with a home doubleheader tomorrow at 4 p.m. against St. Joseph's (N.Y.). Plymouth State moves to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in the league.
WestConn fell behind in the top of the first inning in game two, as the Panthers scored three unearned runs off Bordenaro thanks to a pair of Wolves errors. Keelie Wells had an RBI singles in the top of the first for Plymouth State. WestConn came roaring back in their half of the first, tying the game with three runs on an RBI single by sophomore IF
Kendall Allen (Naugatuck, Conn..) and a two-out, two-run single by senior OF
Brianna Malvino (Glen Cove, N.Y.). The Wolves took a 4-3 lead in the third inning when freshman OF
Sera DeBaggis (Mendon, Mass.) led off with a walk and went around to score on a two-out double down the left field line by sophomore
Benni Tucci (Norwalk, Conn.).
In the fourth frame, WestConn graduate
Gretchen Bunovsky (Monroe, Conn.) led of with a hard single to left field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Allen. Wells smacked an RBI double in the fifth for the Panthers, but Bordenaro retired eight of the final nine batters including three on strikeouts to close out the game. Bordenaro scattered eight hits and won her first decision of the spring against two losses. Allen, Tucci, junior SS
Jaycee Filancia (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and freshman C
Victoria Wiatrak (Cromwell, Conn.) each had two hits for the Wolves. Wells was 3-for-4 at the plate and junior Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) went the distance and struck out three but fell to 1-3 in the circle for Plymouth State.
Plymouth State senior RHP Kate McGrath tossed a five-hitter with nine K's and did not walk a batter in the first game. WestConn sophomore righty Lindsay Farinacchio (Red Hook, Conn.) went 5.2 innings and allowed eight hits and two runs with three strikeouts but had to leave the game after being hit with a line drive. Classmate Caitlin Conley (Ridgefield, Conn.) pitched out of jam in the sixth, recording two outs with two runners on base but walked two and allowed two hits and two runs in the seventh frame. The Wolves trailed 2-0, into the bottom of the sixth inning when Filancia and graduate
Rachael Ushka (Southbury, Conn.) and junior
Alexis Resto (Shelton, Conn.) drove Filancia home with a base hit. McGrath got the next two outs, however, stranding Ushka and Resto in scoring position. Resto had two hits and Ushka double in the second for her 100th career hit.
