April 26, 2012

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - Katie Bettencourt and Kyllie Magill each hit solo home runs and Sara Plourde threw her seventh no-hitter of the season as Massachusetts defeated Fairfield 4-0 at the UMass Softball Complex on Thursday.

The game was a pitcher's duel in the first three innings with neither team generating much offense. Fairfield managed three walks and a hit batter, while UMass saw just two baserunners via a walk and a hit batter.

UMass got on the board in the fourth when Bettencourt hit a solo home run over the fence in right center. It was the rightfielder?s fourth of the season and her third in the last five games. Two batters later, Kyllie Magill went deep to straight-away center for a 2-0 Minutewomen lead.

The Minutewomen added a pair of unearned runs in the fifth, which included an RBI triple off the top of the wall in right from shortstop Quianna Diaz-Patterson. She scored two batters later on a Plourde sacrifice fly to right.

UMass (28-11) rode Plourde's arm all game as she improved to 27-9. She finished with 12 strikeouts in six innings as the game was called in the middle of the sixth due to darkness.

Fairfield (24-24) did a good job of making Plourde work in the circle as the Stags drew six walks in the game. Their best scoring chance came in the fourth when they put runners on second and third with one out. But Plourde got two popouts to end the threat and fanned six of the final 12 batters. Starter Rebecca Trott (11-10) took the loss after allowing the two long balls in the fourth. She struck out three and walked three.

UMass will play host to Charlotte on Sunday on Senior Day and the Fifth Annual FanFest. The doubleheader will start at Noon.