Framingham State Loses Twice on The Diamond To Lesley

Lesley University (6-4) scored a pair of wins over Framingham State (2-12) in non-conference softball action, coming from behind to beat the Rams in dramatic fashion, 8-7, in the opener before besting the Rams 6-0 in the nightcap on a blistery afternoon at Buckingham Field in Cambridge.

Ashley Cunningham blasted a three-run homer to get the Lynx on the board in Game 1, which Molly Sarson ended by lining a bases loaded, walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh.

After scoring four straight without making an out in the last inning of Game 1, Sarson, Cunningham and the Lynx kept on hitting, as Lesley put runs on the board in every inning of a Game 2 6-0 win in an abbreviated five-inning contest.

A leadoff walk and wild pitch cost Lynx starter Cassandra Knox in the first inning of the opener, as Kim Danish (Milford) scored from third on a Christy Ulak  infield single to put the Rams up 1-0.

 Two Lynx errors on an Alyssa Shea single allowed two runs to score in the Rams three-run second, but Lesley got three back on Cunningham’s blast an inning later. Her shot to left scored Jessica Guevara  and Alyson Durben. Sarson followed Cunningham’s shot with a walk, and pinch-runner Rian Powers stole second and scored when the throw to second sailed into centerfield, tying the game 4-4 after three.

 The comeback wouldn’t last, as the Rams answered with three of their own in the fourth. Danish and Kendra Fisher knocked back-to-back RBI singles, with Kasey Phipps scoring on an error on Fisher’s single, putting Framingham ahead 7-4.

Framingham's Rams lead held until the seventh. Maria Nazzaro drew the dreaded leadoff walk, and Emily Mangiaratti  followed with a single. Jennifer Dorval’s  pinch-hit single scored Nazzaro, leaving two runners on for No. 3 hitter Gabrielle Brixey.

 The Lynx left fielder dropped a bunt down the third base line, and Kelly Reardon fielded and sent the throw all the way up the right field line. Mangiaratti scored from second and, running for Dorval, Guevara came around to score all the way from first, tying the game 7-7 with still no outs and Brixey representing the winning run 60 feet away.

  A pair of intentional walks loaded the bags for Sarson, whose lined single to center plated Brixey to complete the comeback and make a winner out of Knox. The Lynx starter allowed 11 hits that led to seven runs, only one of which was earned thanks to five Lynx errors.

Adriana Faria (Acton) took the loss, surrendering seven hits and eight runs, only four earned, and striking out a season-high 10.

Sarson went 2-for-2 with a walk and the game-winning RBI, Guevara scored twice and Cunningham drove in three as the Lynx stood on the right side of .500 for the first time all season.

For the Rams, Ulak went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Shea went 2-for-3 with a run scored.                  

Lesley's freshman right-hander retired the first 11 Rams before allowing a base runner and took a no-hitter into the fifth before allowing what would be Framingham’s only hit, a double to Kate Corriveault (Blackstone, ).

Framingham State plays two games at Bridgewater State on Saturday.