Bay Path Drops Game One- 10-5 to Fitchburg State

Fitchburg State rode a decisive early surge and a four-RBI day from catcher Jessica Mueller to a 10–5 home win over Bay Path on Thursday afternoon at Donna Lee Withington Field.

After Bay Path threatened in the top of the first, Fitchburg State struck first in the bottom half. Kiley Connors reached and eventually scored on Mueller's RBI groundout for a 1–0 lead. Bay Path answered in the second when Sofia Verrengia lined an RBI single to left—moving up to second on the throw—to score Jackie Phillips and tie the game, 1–1.

The game swung hard in Fitchburg State's favor in the bottom of the second, a five-run inning fueled by Bay Path miscues. Two runs scored on a sacrifice bunt that turned into a throwing error, and Mueller followed with the biggest hit of the day: a bases-clearing, three-run double to center that pushed the Falcons out to a 6–1 advantage. Fitchburg State kept adding on with single runs in the third and fourth, including Lauren Ahearn's RBI single in the third and a wild pitch in the fourth that brought in Mueller to make it 8–1.

Bay Path chipped away late, collecting 12 hits and scoring in four of the final five innings. In the fifth, Madison Sunderland ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to score Allie Dattilo, and another run came home on a Fitchburg State error. Bay Path added an RBI single by Caroline Austin in the sixth, then capped its scoring in the seventh when Jenna Boudreau launched a solo homer to center.

Fitchburg State answered Bay Path's push with two more in the sixth. Keegan Kelley drove in a run on a groundout, and Carolyn Brodeur followed with an RBI single up the middle to restore breathing room at 10–4.

Mueller finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and four RBIs, while Kelley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Ahearn had a perfect 3-for-3 day with an RBI. For Bay Path, Madison Tessmer and Austin each had two hits, Phillips went 2-for-3 with a walk, and Verrengia went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

In the circle, Madison Solt went the distance for Fitchburg State, allowing five runs (four earned) on 12 hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Bay Path's Kaitlyn Kerstetter took the loss after three innings in which Fitchburg State scored seven runs (three earned), with four total Bay Path errors contributing to the final margin.

Final: Fitchburg State 10, Bay Path 5. Attendance was 70, and the game lasted 1:48.