Salve Regina sweeps Wellesley in softball, 6-0 and 4-3, for first NEWMAC wins

NEWPORT, R.I. (Friday, April 5, 2024) - Salve Regina University softball swept a pair of NEWMAC games from visiting Wellesley College on Friday afternoon, 6-0 and 4-3, at Toppa Field in Newport, Rhode Island.

Junior Alex Kelly (East Meadow, N.Y.) threw a three-hit shutout with six strikeouts to give the Seahawks (5-11 Overall, 2-2 NEWMAC) a 6-0 win in game one. Senior Maddie Capetta (Raritan, N.J.) cleared the bases with a three-run double in the sixth and later scored on an Emily Lane (Tinton Falls, N.J.) single up the middle.

In game two, junior Katie Ramos (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) placed a wind-aided single through into left center that scored classmate Sam Franceschi (East Haven, Conn.) and sophomore Mia Bennett (Plainville, Mass.) as the Seahawks built a 4-0 advantage through four frames in game two. Sophomore Skylar Wicklund (Riverhead, N.Y.) faced seven batters to record a five-out save and nail down a win for starter Caroline Peterson (Halifax, Mass.), now 2-2 on the season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
Finals: [1] Salve Regina 6, Wellesley 0; [2] Salve Regina 4, Wellesley 3
Records: Salve Regina (5-11, 2-2 NEWMAC), Welllesley (9-7, 2-2 NEWMAC)
All-Time Series: Friday's twinbill will be the sixth and seventh meetings all-time. The Blue won the first-ever meeting, 6-3, in Cape Coral, Florida, in 2005. Wellesley hosted doubleheaders in back-to-back years (2015, 2016) and the teams split the four games. Salve Regina won 4-3 before dropping a 9-1 mercy decision nine years ago. The last time these teams met, the Seahawks returned a mercy decision with a 14-5 score in the nightcap, after Blue had won the opener, 4-1.

SUMMARY - GAME 1

• B3 - Sam Franceschi led off with a single, stole second, and reached third on Morganti Bello's single. Katie Ramos followed with a run-scoring single through the right side. | Seahawks 1, Blue 0
• B4 - Seahawks produced a run after the first two outs as Sam Franceschi and Morganti Bello went back-to-back down the left-field line with doubles. | Seahawks 2, Blue 0
• B6 - Sam Franceschi had a one-out double and reached third on a fielder's choice back to the circle. A walk to Katie Ramos loaded the bases with no outs but the Blue got the first out on a bouncer back to the circle and a force at home. Maddie Capetta cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center and then came home with the fourth run of the frame on Emily Lane's single up the middle. | Seahawks 6, Blue 0

NOTEWORTHY

• Alex Kelly had a 1-2-3 frame in the fourth; Blue had a runner on base in six other innings (but they never had multiple runners on base).
• Multiple-hit games for Sam Francheschi (2), Morganti Bello (2), and Maddie Capetta (2) with each producing a double - two for Franceschi.
• Franceschi scored a pair of runs.
• Katie Ramos drew two bases on balls while scoring a run and driving in one.

SUMMARY - GAME 2

• B2 - Emily Cronin led off with a single and advanced to second on Emma Plourde's single. Both Seahawks advanced on Hailey Basso's sacrifice bunt and Mia Bennett's ground out to short produced the game's first run. | Seahawks 1, Blue 0
• B4 - Hailey Basso had a one-out single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice before coming home on Sam Franceschi's RBI single up the middle. Katie Ramos' fly ball to center got carried by the wind into left center and landed for a two-out, two-run single. | Seahawks 4, Blue 0
• T5 - Giana Jones led off with a base on balls before Caroline Peterson got a strikeout looking for the first out. Top of the order Alena Mulhern tripled to left field for the first Blue run of the doubleheader. Elli DeCleene followed with run-scoring single to right field. | Seahawks 4, Blue 2
• T6 - Wellesley starting pitcher Sarah Wicker led off with a single before pinch-runner Charis Chung was erased on a fielder's choice grounder to Sam Franceschi at short. Giana Jones' double to left center brought Parker Phillips home from first. Reliever Skylar Wicklund got back-to-back comebackers to maintain the Seahawk lead. | Seahawks 4, Blue 3

NOTEWORTHY

• Emily Cronin went 3-for-3 in the nightcap.
• Katie Ramos also had a pair of hits with two runs driven in.
• Reliever Skylar Wicklund got back-to-back comebackers to maintain the Seahawk lead in the sixth, and then stranded the would-be tying run at third when she retired Wicker on a fly out to Katie Ramos in center to end the game.

HIGHLIGHTS ON YOUTUBE

NEXT UP
Salve Regina travels to Northampton, Massachusetts, for a NEWMAC doubleheader against the Smith College Pioneers on Saturday, April 6, at noon.