P.J. Stanley/Collegian

Pitching changes are usually made to help a struggling hurler.

But after just two innings, one hit and two runs ‘- both unearned ‘- by Connecticut‘s Rachel Crossin, she was taken out by the Huskies coach, Karen Mullins.

‘I’m glad she did,’ Massachusetts softball team’s coach Elaine Sortino said after a 9-0, five-inning victory over the Huskies Thursday night at the UMass Softball Complex. ‘I thought she was doing a pretty good job with us.’

The Minutewomen would go on to record 10 hits and seven runs off two Huskie relievers in the following two innings to sweep the season series.

Freshman Ali Adelman first relieved Crossin in the third inning where she gave up one hit. In the fourth, Adelman recorded just one out as she was knocked around by the No. 19 Minutewomen (32-7) for six hits and six runs.

With UMass leading 2-0, the Minutewomen hit three consecutive singles to start the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to three. From that point on, Adelman faced another four batters and three just six more pitches.

Senior Davina Hernandez took a strike from Adelman before hitting another single. The single drove in two runs ‘- giving Hernandez five in her last three games after she hit a three-run home run against Rhode Island earlier in the week ‘- and Hernandez advanced to third on a throw to the plate.

‘I didn’t have any hits for a few games and I was just sticking with it because I was hitting the ball and not having anything to show for it,’ Hernandez said. ‘I just had to stay positive and not let it get to my head and that is what I’ve been doing, just working really hard in practice on my hitting.’

Hernandez scored on the next pitch as Carly Normandin hit a ground ball to the Huskies second basemen, Jennifer Ward. Instead of getting the force out at first, Ward threw home where Hernandez was sliding head first, narrowly avoiding the tag. Normandin was thrown out as she tried to advance to second.

Two pitches later, Whitney Williams singled to the right side of second base and Whitney Mollica followed on the next pitch with a single on the opposite side of the bag, knocking out Adelman.

Jessie Stavola replaced Adelman and struck out Sarah Reeves, the first batter she faced, before struggling like Adelman did. The Minutewomen hit another three consecutive singles, scoring the three runs, two of which Stavola inherited.

‘We hit seven home runs last two games so we can do that,’ Hernandez said after the game. ‘But today we put the ball on the ground, hit line drives, put it in the gap and I think that was a good representation of what everybody can do and how every single person on the team can contribute.’

The fourth may have been the inning where UMass opened the game wide open, but the third inning was where the Minutewomen got their momentum. Brandice Balschmiter ‘- five innings, seven hits, no runs, two walks and four strikeouts ‘- began the top of the inning by walking the leadoff hitter, Jillian Ortega, and then giving up two singles. With the bases loaded and no outs, UMass’ ace struck out the next three batters ‘- the last of which, Micah Truax, is the two-time reigning Big East Player of the Year ‘- on 11 pitches.

‘I was glad she revved it up, she struck out the side, that was huge,’ Sortino said. ‘We were fortunate that she got the leadoff hitter out, that was the Big East Player of the Year, and that kid can hit.’

The Minutewomen will close out the regular season as they play the final four games of their Atlantic 10 schedule in the next three days. UMass hosts La Salle Friday at 3 p.m., and again on Saturday at noon and end the regular season with a doubleheader at home against Fordham starting Sunday at noon.

Saturday’s game will be ‘Pack the Park’ day as UMass tries to sell out the game as it honors this year’s seniors and Sunday’s game will be the 2nd annual FanFest game.

Jeffrey R. Larnard can be reached at [email protected].