Owls Top Wesleyan (Conn.), 6-3, Split Doubleheader With NESCAC Foes

Emily Arredondo delivers a pitch in the Owls win over Wesleyan.
Emily Arredondo delivers a pitch in the Owls win over Wesleyan.

MINNEOLA, Fla. – Westfield State University topped Wesleyan University (Conn.) 6-3 to open a split doubleheader on Wednesday at the Minneola Athletic Complex.  

The Owls fell to Bowdoin College, 7-1 in the nightcap, as the Owls played two teams which belong to the powerful NESCAC conference.

In the opener, sophomore pitcher Emily Arredondo (2-1) spun a complete game, scattering six hits and striking out three. 

Westfield struck for a run in the top of the first inning, as Lindsay Cordopatri singled, stole second and eventually came around to score on an error for a 1-0 Owls lead.

Wesleyan gained the upper hand with three runs in the second, with an RBI single from Alyssa DaSilva and a run-scoring double from Lindsay Gaffney-Gomez.  That was all the Cardinals could manage, as Arredondo blanked the birds the rest of the way.

Westfield tallied three runs of their own to regain the lead in the fourth. Karly Mastello led off with a double and scored on Kayla Soucie's base hit. Cordopatri drove in Kara Fluet with a walk, and Bri Tortora walked to plate Soucie and give the Owls the lead for good.   Westfield tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh as Colleen Hughes drove in Tortora and sister Caitlin Hughes with a single up the middle.

Starter Danielle Rinaldi took the loss for Wesleyan (0-1).

In the nightcap, Bowdoin struck for four runs in the second inning off Owls starter Emily Woodworth, who tossed a complete game.

Westfield got its lone run in the third inning. Kaitlin Prophet reached with two out with a hard single off the third-baseman's glove, then scored as Cordopatri followed with a bunt single and came all the way around to score after the ball was thrown away on the bunt play.

Bowdoin (1-0) starter Samantha Roy worked six innings to get the win, striking out seven and yielding just six hits.  

Westfield is now 2-4 overall on the season, and will play a doubleheader against Gordon College tomorrow morning at the Osceola County Softball Complex in Kissimmee.