SALEM, MA
The 2025 UMPI softball season began Sunday afternoon, as they traveled to Massachusetts to take on the Salem State Vikings for a doubleheader in both teams' season openers. The Vikings bats started out the day hot, and they would never cool off, winning game one 11-0 in five innings, and game two 9-1 in six innings.
Game 1 (11-0 Vikings)
How it Happened:
Emma McNally kicked off the season on a good note for UMPI with a single to left field. She eventually advanced to third, but UMPI couldn't get her across leaving the top half scoreless. Salem plated two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead that they would never surrender. They scored two more in the third, before exploding with seven runs in the 4th that became the knockout blow.
At the Plate:
The aforementioned Emma McNally led the game off with the single. The Owls had two hits the rest of the way. A single to center from Gracelyn Walsh in the 4th and a single to center from Caileyann Cotta in the 5th.
In the Circle:
Gracelyn Walsh threw the whole way for the Owls, tossing four innings, allowing 12 hits and seven earned runs. She struck out five batters, got four to fly out and three to ground out.
Game 2: (9-1 Vikings)
How it Happened:
Things settled down at the beginning of game two for the Owls as the first two full innings were scoreless and hitless as both pitchers settled into a groove. In the bottom of the third however, the Vikings got on the board, capitalizing on some walks, and scored four runs on two hits. Zoe Stewart did pitch her way out of a jam however, getting a big ground out strand the bases loaded and keep the game within reach. Unfortunately, the Owls would repeat a similar fate in the top half of the 4th, leaving them loaded. The Vikings scored two more on one hit in the 5th. UMPI responded with their first run of the year in the top of the 6th, as Sabrina Kauffman scored on an error, but the Vikings shortened the game on a walk-off run rule in the sixth as they scored three more to win 9-1.
