Springfield, Mass. – Anchored by a pair of strong pitching performances, Springfield College swept two games from Clark University in a doubleheader on Potter Field. With the wins, Springfield improves to 14-5-1 (7-2 NEWMAC) while Clark drops to 7-15 (2-8 NEWMAC).

Springfield 9, Clark 3:

Ashley Marino (Harrison, N.Y.) had a solid outing in the circle for the Pride, going five innings, allowing just two hits, two runs and one walk while striking out six.

Jenna Webb (Harrison, N.Y.) had a dominant day at the plate for Springfield, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run scored. Christina Leader (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and Tasha Polana (Orange, Mass.) each had multi-hit days for the Pride, as Leader went 2-for-3 and Polana went 2-for-4.

Marino retired the side in order in the top of the first and got a ton of help from her offense in the bottom half of the inning.

Leader singled to left center and Ally Rivelli (North Kingstown, R.I.) dropped down a perfect bunt and beat out the throw to put two runners on base with no outs. A double steal moved Leader to third and Rivelli to second and Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) took a walk to load the bases. Webb delivered the first two runs of the game on a double to right center, scoring Leader and Rivelli. Brielle Engelbrecht (Granby, Mass.) hit a deep ball to right field and touched all the bases after two errors, making it a 5-0 game. Springfield tacked on one more run on a sacrifice fly by Brittany Lally (Hudson, Mass.), scoring Holik for an early 6-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Marino tallied her second-straight 1-2-3 inning, but in the bottom half of the inning, Clark allowed just one hit by Engelbrecht, but held the Pride scoreless.

Clark got its first base runner in the top of the third, as Melanie Dusseault (Auburn, N.H.) took a walk with two outs, but Marino got the next batter to fly out to right field to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Springfield had bases loaded with one out, but Clark got two quick outs on a lineout to the shortstop and a fly out to left. The Pride used some two-out magic, tacking on three more runs. Nelson drove Holik in on a hard hit ball through the left side for a 7-0 lead and Webb drove in two more on a single through the right side for a 9-0 game.

Marino had a no-hitter for Springfield through the first four innings, but Clark notched its first hit of the game in the fifth inning, on a deep single by Rachel Kraytenberg (Londonderry, N.H.) that went off the wall in left field. The Cougars took advantage, as Shawna Amatucci (Shrewsbury, Mass.) launched a two-run homer over the wall in right center to make it a 9-2 game. Marino came back to strike out the next two batters to get out of the inning.

Nicole Cring (Cooperstown, N.Y.) pitched the sixth and seventh innings for the Pride, allowing just two hits and one run.

Clark scored once in the top of the sixth as Lauren Mackey (Dublin, N.H.) drove in Maya Allen (Concord, Mass.) for a 9-3 game, but Cring closed it out in the seventh on three-straight ground ball outs.

Springfield 3, Clark 1:

Jennifer Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) was strong again in the circle for the Pride, earning her seventh win of the season to improve to 7-2. She had a no-hitter going for the 4.2 innings before a single in the fifth broke it up. Joseph went six innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out five.

At the plate, Springfield was led by Engelbrecht, who drove in two runs.

Joseph had two-straight 1-2-3 innings to start the game, then after a lead-off walk in the third, she got the next three Clark batters out to end the inning.

The Pride got on the board in the third inning as Rivelli hit a double to left field and Webb was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Engelbrecht hit a ball to deep right center and a miscommunication between the outfielders resulted in an error on Clark and Engelbrecht drove in both runs, standing up on third base for a 2-0 lead.

Clark got its first hit of the game with two outs in the fifth inning as Amatucci hit a single to left field to break up Joseph's no-hitter. Joseph rebounded with a strikeout to end inning.

Clark got a run back in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Corrie Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.) that scored Allen for a 2-1 game. With two outs and a runner on second, Joseph tallied her fifth strikeout of the game to end the inning with a one-run lead.

Springfield added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Elizabeth Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) brought home Holik to make it a 3-1 game. Joseph was thrown out at third base to end the inning.

Camdyn Morgillo (West Haven, Conn.) closed out the game with a flawless seventh inning of relief.

Clark will also be back in action on Saturday, hosting Coast Guard in a NEWMAC doubleheader at 12:00 p.m.