CLERMONT, Fla. – The Worcester State University softball team dropped their sixth and seventh consecutive games on Thursday against Tufts University and St. Olaf College at the Legends Way Ballfields.
GAME ONE: Worcester State 4, Tufts 12 (5 inn.)
After falling 10-2 to the Tufts Jumbos on Tuesday, the Lancers fell once again in a rematch, as the Jumbos mercied the Lancers 12-4.
Following a solo home run from Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) in the top of the 1st inning, Tufts University went on a scoring binge and collected nine runs on four hits and two Worcester State errors in the bottom of the inning.
After adding one more run to the board in the top of the 3rd on an RBI single from Kaiulani Ennis (Swansea, Mass.), Tufts picked up three more runs on a 3-run home run from Summer Horowitz (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.), moving the score to 12-2.
Worcester State chipped away at the lead, scoring two runs in the 4th and one run in the 5th, however, it was not enough to keep the game going, and therefore the score concluded at 12-4 in the 5th inning.
Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.) went 2-for-2 against the Jumbos pitching staff, while Despres and Corrie Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.) batted 2-for-3 on the occasion.
Tufts' Raina Galbiati (Boulder, Colo.) earned her 4th win in the circle, as she only gave up one run in the two innings pitched. Worcester State's Rachel Frisch (Worcester, Mass.) grieved her 3rd loss of the season in 0.1 inning pitched.
GAME TWO: Worcester State 4, St. Olaf 6 (8 inn.)
After coming back and tying the game at 4-4 in the top of the 6th, the St. Olaf Oles defeated the Lancers in extra innings when they scored two runs on one hit and an error. The Lancers were unable to match the runs in the bottom half of the inning, which, in turn, resulted in a 6-4 win for the foes.
St. Olaf began the game with one run in the 1st inning, from where Worcester State matched it in the bottom of the 2nd inning. The Lancers moved ahead in the bottom of the 4th when they scored three runs on four hits and one Ole error, igniting the comeback for St. Olaf.
St. Olaf's relief pitcher, Julie Graf (Sammamish, Wash.) came into the game in the fourth inning and stunned the Lancers, only allowing two hits and striking out nine batters. Worcester State's relief pitcher, Mary McKeown (Shrewsbury, Mass.) took the loss in 2.1 innings pitched.
Kaci Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.), Kayla Humphrey (Wallingford, Conn.), and Becky Brandeberry (Phillipston, Mass.) racked up the hits for the Lancers in game two. Panarelli led the team in RBI with three, while Brandeberry picked up her first collegiate RBI.
St. Olaf saw eight hits from eight different players throughout the game.
The Lancers will conclude their Florida play tomorrow, when they take on Bowdoin and Thomas (Me.) in an 11:30 a.m. and a 4:30 p.m., respectively, at the Legend Way Ballfields.