Softball Can’t Keep Pace in Nonconference Doubleheader Against Union

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Softball team welcomed Union College to Shewcraft Field this afternoon for the Trailblazers final non-conference home date of the season. The visiting Garnet Chargers controlled both games, almost from start to finish. MCLA scored the first three runs of the afternoon and then were shut down by a combination of Union pitchers for the remainder of the day.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
• Game #1: Union 6, MCLA 3
• Game #2: Union 13, MCLA 0
• Records: Union College Garnet Chargers 7-17 (Liberty 2-8) | MCLA Trailblazers 12-15 (MASCAC 5-5)
• Series History: MCLA leads the all-time series 7-5. The teams split a doubleheader last season in Schenectady with MCLA taking game #1 by a score of 6-4, but Union taking game #2 4-2 on April 17, 2024. The Trailblazers won the first-ever meeting of the teams by a score of 4-2 on May 7, 1987.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Game #1
  • The MCLA highlights of the afternoon were all limited to the first inning of game #1, with the Trailblazers putting three runs on the board before anyone had a chance to get comfortable in their seats. Following a 1-2-3 top of the first inning by sophomore pitcher Juliana Johansen (Pittsfield, MA), grad student outfielder Maddy Teta (Troy, NY) led off with a single to right field, that she promptly made into a double by stealing second base. Junior Hailey Peabody (West Springfield, MA) advanced Teta with a productive ground out to second ahead of junior second baseman Ella Staffier (Marshfield, MA) driving in the first run with a single through the left side of the infield. Senior Madyson Torres (Dripping Springs, TX) then followed with another productive out, helped by an aggressive Staffier going first to third on a groundout to the third baseman. Junior Maggie Closinski then plated Staffier with a single back through the middle. Closinski would score on a wild pitch two batters later.
  • The remaining offense of the day was all on the Union side of the ledger. The Garnet Chargers scored one run in the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, while adding a two spot in the third. Union had five different players record an RBI, and all five players were in the one through five spot in the lineup.
  • Melody Kappel went six innings for Union, scattering eight hits and striking out three to pick up her first win and moving to 1-4. Carra Cleaves pitched the seventh inning, striking out two to pick up her first save of the year. Johansen suffered the loss for MCLA, falling to 8-7.
• Game #2
  • The second game of the day was an offensive show case for the visitors who scored 13 runs on 15 hits. The big hits were doubles by Tatum Perkins, Haley Gibbons, and Autumn Duff and a triple by Kappel.
  • The Garnet Chargers had multi-run efforts in third, fourth, and fifth innings.
  • MCLA was limited to only three hits by Teta, Peabody, and sophomore Alexandra Moyer (Cortlandt Manor, NY).
  • Autumn Duff pitched the first four innings for Union, allowing only two hits and striking out three to pick up her first win of the season and upping her record to 1-2. Peabody took the loss, falling to 4-8.

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when it travels to Alumni Park and Bridgewater State for a MASCAC matchup with the Bears. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

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