The Husson University softball team opened up their NCAA Division III Tournament on Thursday afternoon, falling 3-1 to #4 seed Framingham State at O’Keefe Field in Bangor. The Eagles, who are hosting the four team double elimination regional for the second time in the last four seasons, had their 30-game win streak snapped with their first defeat since March 7 and now must work out of the losers side of the bracket.
The game was scoreless through four innings, with all the scoring in the contest coming in the fifth. Framingham State got all they needed in the top of that frame. Eliza Carignan led off with a single against Husson starter Danielle Masterson, and Talia Duca reached on an error by Eagles third baseman Kenzie Dore on a sacrifice bunt to put two runners on base with noone out. After Haley Jensen popped out to second base, Victoria Connelly hit one back to Masterson in the circle but the throw to first base was wild and over the head of Tori Exel for an error allowing Carignan to score. With two outs, Makayla Rooney came up with the key hit for the Rams with a two-run double to centerfield that proved to be the game winner. Husson had a golden opportunity to jump right back into the game in the bottom half. Josie Cornell led off with an infield single, and with one out Jess Pomerleau walked and Katie Raymond had an infield single to load the bases. Framingham starter Ally Moran did a great job at limiting the damage, allowing just a sacrifice RBI flyout to Lydia Rice. She would get Bulla McCabe to popup to second base to end the threat. After going in order in the last of the sixth inning, Husson had one more opportunity in their last at bat. Cornell led off with another single, but the Rams put the fire out quickly on that rally when Kiara McLeod lined into an unassisted doubleplay to the first baseman Kelsey McGuill. Pinch hitter Tatyanna Biamby would flyout to leftfield to end it.
Cornell had three of the four hits on the afternoon for Husson in the loss. Masterson (12-2) took the defeat in the circle allowing three runs (none earned) on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Ana Lang pitched the final 2.0 innings not giving up anything and adding three strikeouts. It is also the first home loss of the season, falling to 11-1 at O’Keefe Field. Moran (14-8) got the pitching win for Framingham State, as she was touched up for just the one run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in the complete game effort. Carignan had two hits, and Rooney had the big timely game winning two-run double. The Rams (25-18) are the champions of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), and advance to a winners bracket game Friday morning at 11 a.m. against the #3 Williams College Ephs (24-11). The top seeded Eagles (35-5) will play Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (34-6) in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The Ephs beat the Engineers 9-0 in five innings in Thursdays second game. Whoever wins the Husson-RPI matchup, would be forced into a second elimination contest at 4 p.m.
Recap by Chris Lessner/All photos courtesy of Eric Ogden Photography
