Saturday afternoon the Massachusetts softball team took on La Salle in a doubleheader matchup that UMass (9-10, 6-6 Atlantic 10) swept, winning the first game 5-4 and the second 9-0.

The Minutewomen had a slow start to the games, having to come back in the bottom of the second to tie with an impressive steal by Caroline Videtto making the game 2-2. This held until the bottom of the fifth where UMass added another tally to the boards to gain a 3-2 lead over the Explorers (0-17, 0-10 A-10).

La Salle started to put up more of a fight and managed to score two runs in the top of the seventh. The Minutewomen found themselves in a tough situation as they needed the bottom of the seventh to secure the final two runs and put themselves ahead 5-4.

When moving into the second game they once again had a slow start scoring only one run in the second and holding a one run lead into the fourth. UMass’ game took a turn for the better, scoring an impressive eight runs in the fourth inning alone.

“We’re always expecting to serve that much in one inning at bat,” Minutewomen head coach Kristi Stefanoni said. “When they were hitting double after double after double, I got this gut feeling that this was it.”

This inning alone showed contrast from the first game entirely as UMass was swinging more and the momentum carried on player after player.

“My message to them was to swing the bat earlier in the count, just to swing earlier and swing at strikes,” Stefanoni said.

This is not the last of the matchups between UMass and La Salle. They face each other once again tomorrow afternoon in another doubleheader. The first game will start at noontime in Amherst.

Brianna Repetto can be reached at [email protected]