Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Eastern Connecticut State University graduate righty Alyssa Vilchez (Brampton, ON) ended the University of Massachusetts' seven-game winning streak with a complete-game four-hitter and knocked in the only run of the game in the top of the first inning in the Warriors' 1-0 victory Saturday afternoon at the UMD Softball Complex in the first game of a Little East Conference season-opening doubleheader for both teams.
 
In a re-match of last year's LEC tournament title game between Vilchez (6-3) and UMD's Kaitlyn Shirshac (6-5), won by UMass Dartmouth in 12 innings, 1-0, Vilchez fanned three and walked two and never allowed more than one hit in an inning en route to her sixth career shutout. Shirshac gave up only six hits, fanning three and walking two.
 
In the second game, UMass snapped a 4-4 tie by scoring nine runs on eight hits in the fourth inning and rode a 16-hit attack to a 14-11 victory.
 
In the first game, three of Eastern's hits were doubles and two came in the first when Eastern (9-6-1, 1-1 LEC) scored one more run than they did in 12 innings in last year's LEC title game against Shirshac. Sophomore shortstop Emma Marelli (Waterford) opened the game with a double and Vilchez pulled a double to right for what proved to be the only runs.
 
The Warriors had several opportunities to pad their lead by seven runners in scoring position. In the second inning, sophomore catcher Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH) doubled with one out and was bunted to second by junior second baseman Maddi Sauve (Mansfield), but Shirshac got a fly ball to center to end the threat. Shirsac walked two batters with two out in the third but got out of the inning with an infield popup.
 
UMass Dartmouth (11-7, 1-1 LEC) never advanced a runner to third base and stranded three runners on second. In the second, Vilchez got two infield ground balls to leave a runner at second, struck out Jill Walsh looking for the final out of the fourth after Sydney Menz had doubled with two out, and Vilchez left a runner at second by getting a ground ball to graduate third baseman Julia SanGiovanni (East Haven) in the fifth. Vilchez did not allow a hit after Menz' double with two out in the fourth.
 
On the day, Vilchez had three hits and Sauve, SanGiovanni, Bowen, Marelli and first-year outfielder Kaley Laird (Bristol) all had two. Sauve also homered and knocked in five runs on the day (all in the second game), with Vilchez driving in three and Laird two. SanGiovanni reached five times with two hits and three walks and scored three runs. Senior outfielder Sarah Remillard (Grafton, MA) also had two hits and scored three runs. Her two second-game hits moved her to within four of 100 in her career.
 
Eastern hosts the University of Southern Maine in an LEC doubleheader Friday at 2 p.m