Salve Regina sweeps doubleheader from Nichols, 2-0, 9-4
DUDLEY, Mass. - Nichols College junior pitcher Lindsay Hassett (Oxford, Mass.) broke the Bison's career strikeouts record with nine K's in the opening game of a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader against Salve Regina Thursday afternoon, but it was not enough as the Seahawks swept the Bison by scores of 2-0 and 9-4.
Needing just two strikeouts to break the all-time record coming into today's games, Hassett accomplished the feat by the second inning and added seven more in the opener, which proved to be a pitcher's duel between the righty and Salve Regina's Sarah Jakiela (Meriden, Conn.), who fanned 10 and allowed two hits in the shutout win. Both pitchers went the distance in the game, with Hassett finishing the day with a career total 284 K's after breaking Lauren Person's (2005-08) all-time record of 276. Hassett needed just 276 career innings to accomplish the feat, averaging 1.03 strikeouts per inning over her career.
The Seahawks got their runs aboard in the third inning on a bases-loaded single from Kristen Parolise (Hamden, Conn.), plating Courtney Fleming (Wethersfield, Conn.), who led off the inning with a single and Nikki Hirschbeck (Shelton, Conn.), who reached on an error. Nichols threatened in the fourth, but left the bases loaded with a strikeout and flyout to end the inning.
Samantha Hardigan (Brockton, Mass.) collected two doubles in the opener, the only two hits off Jakiela, and finished the day 4-for-5 with three doubles, an RBI and a run scored.
In the nightcap, Nichols led, 1-0 after one on a Chelsea Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) RBI single, but the Seahawks answered right back in the second as Fleming pushed one across with a double. An error in the third frame led to another Salve Regina run, but it was in the fifth inning that the Seahawks did their damage.
A two-out, two-run homer from Jillian Quinatana (Denver, Colo.) started the Seahawks spree in the frame, and Salve Regina followed with three consecutive hits before Fleming drilled a three-run double to bring the score to 7-1. Nichols pitcher Molly Ferraro (Millis, Mass.) fanned the final batter to get out of the inning.
Jakiela, meanwhile, had a four-hitter headed into the sixth until Nichols knocked two off her and scored one on an RBI single from Amber Cottrell (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.).
Salve Regina scored two more in the top of the seventh after an error and a pair of RBI hits, and Nichols came alive in the bottom of the frame to collect three hits and a pair of runs with no outs, but stranded three on the bases as Jakiela fanned two and induced a pop-up to end the game.
Ferraro allowed 14 hits in the game to dip to 4-5 overall, while Jakiela moved to 8-6 with nine hits and six strikeouts.
Nichols (7-15, 4-6 TCCC) is back in action on Saturday at University of New England for a TCCC twinbill at noon. Salve Regina (9-7, 4-4 TCCC) travels to New England College for a pair of conference games Saturday at noon.
Courtesy of Nichols sports information