Westfield State softball dropped its opening two games in Florida, losing a close one late, 5-4 to the US Coast Guard Academy in the season opener, then falling by a 10-1 final to the University of Scranton in the Sunday nightcap.
GAME ONE- COAST GUARD 5; WESTFIELD 4
Westfield took a 2-0 lead with two RBI's on a double from Caitlin Hughes.
Senior Sharayah Simco cut the deficit, putting the Bears on the board, 2-1 as she grounded out to shortstop, with an RBI at the top of the first.
The Bears took a 3-2 lead at the top of the third as McKenna advanced to second with two RBI's.
Bri Tortora hit a triple for the Owls to bring in two RBI's and tie the game 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth.
Sophomore Charlee Kraiss led off with a double, advanced to third on a ground out by Courtney McKenna and scored on a passed ball to give Coast Guard a 5-4 lead at the top of the seventh.
Ferris pitched a clean inning, retiring the last three batters of the game with help from a diving catch from McKenna to end the game.
GAME TWO - SCRANTON 10, WESTFIELD 1
Scranton jumped out to a 2-0 with the help of two unearned runs in the top of the first, and added another run in the second.
Westfield State starter Emily Woodworth worked out of a bases-loaded, none-out situation in the second inning, inducing three straight fielders choice groudouts that retired two Royals runners at the plate to limit the damage in the inning.
The Owls pushed their lone run across in the third, as leadoff hitter Linday Cordopatri singled, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on another wild pitch to cut the lead to 3-1. Westfield had two on via the walk with only one out in the inning, but were unable to push another run across.
Scranton finally put together a big inning in the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits and two walks.
Westfield mustered another chance in the sixth, putting two aboard with one out, but a fielders choice and a spectacular diving catch on Karly Mastello's line drive by Scranton second baseman Jessica Indelicato ended the threat.
Woodworth took the loss for the Owls, with Brenna Welch working the final three innings. Jennifer Sweeney went the distance to earn the pitching win for the Royals, and reached base four times and drove in two runs at the plate to help her own cause. Indelicato and Maggie Donnelly each had a pair of hits.