FT. MEYERS, Fla. - Graduate student shortstop Charline Plasczynski (Bristol, Conn.) and senior utility player Rachael Ushka (Southbury, Conn.) each recorded four hits as the Western Connecticut State University softball team opened its season with victories over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and Baruch College on Saturday to begin their spring trip. 

The Wolves edged the Trailblazers, 6-3, in the morning matchup before downing the Bearcats, 8-3, later in the day.

In the opener against MCLA, WestConn racked up three runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Trailblazers answered with a pair in the top of the third before the teams exchanged runs in the fourth and fifth frames, giving the Wolves a narrow 4-3 advantage. They sent another pair of runners across the plate in the bottom half of the sixth, extending the lead to 6-3. They would hold on to secure the victory. Ushka and junior Amber Roggendorf (Great Neck, N.Y.) each finished with a pair of RBI's, while rookie Brianne McKay (Riverhead, N.Y.) tossed a solid relief pitching effort to earn the win, notching four strikeouts in just over four innings.

"It was a little bit of a rough start the first time out but we got the bugs out and Brianne had a great first outing to capture her first win," said WestConn head coach Heather Stone after the contest.

The Wolves got off to fast start in the Game Two matchup against Baruch. With the score deadlocked at 2-2, Plasczynski came around to score on an error after reaching on a single. Moments later, Ushka touched the plate on a sacrifice bunt from rookie Mackenzie Moccia (Yonkers, N.Y.) after being hit by a pitch in the batter's box. 

WestConn widened the gap to 5-2 in the fifth when Plasczynski scored off a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Sydney Chenoweth (Baldwinville, Mass.). Ushka followed it up with a triple in the sixth, driving in a pair of runners to make it 7-2. Shortly thereafter, she came across the plate courtesy of a Bearcat error to make it 8-2. Baruch notched a sacrifice fly in the seventh to round the count out at 8-3. 

With the sweep, the Wolves improved to 2-0 overall. They continue the trip tomorrow with a contest against Widener at 1 p.m. and Westfield State at 3 p.m.