WALTHAM, Mass. – The Worcester State University softball team wrapped up regular season play on Tuesday, May 2nd with a 7-5 win over the host, Brandeis University, in non-league action at Marcus Field.
The Lancers scored their seven runs on 11 hits, while the Judges scored the five on 13 hits and one Worcester State error. Throughout the game, the Blue and Gold only left four batters on base, while Brandeis left seven.
Both teams began the 1st inning with a bang, as each team side of the inning saw numerous hits, runs, and home runs. Worcester State began the scoring on an RBI single from Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.) after Haley Scola (Worcester, Mass.) and Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) reached on a walk and a single, respectively. Worcester loaded the bases up when Kayla Humphrey (Wallingford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch. Next up was Kaci Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) who hit a grand slam to left field, advancing the Lancers' score to 5-0.
Despite the outburst from Worcester State in the top half, the Judges responded with four of their own runs in the bottom half as Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn.) began the Judges' batting with a homer. The Judges scored three more runs in the inning as PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H.) plated two on a single to right field, and Amanda Shore (San Jose, Calif.) tallied another RBI on a single.
The Lancers added another run in the 2nd inning on a hit batter, a double by Despres and a run producing groundout by Smith-Porter. They made it 7-4 in the 5th inning on an RBI double from Monica Ferrazzani (N. Reading, Mass.) .
The Judges had runners in just about every inning, but were unable to capitalize until the bottom of the 7th. A single by pitcher Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla.) and walk to senior Madi Hunter (Parker, Colo.) put two on with one out. Ross delivered her third RBI of the game with a single up the middle, but the Lancers were able to cut down another runner on the base paths, allowing the visitors to escape with the 7-5 win.
Todd went 6.1 innings and allowed eight hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts after Melissa Soleimani (Somerset, Mass.) started and gave up five runs, suffering the loss.
Lehtonen led the Judges with three hits, while Ross, Shore and sophomore Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y.) collecting two safeties each.
For the Lancers, Carly Zielinski (Monson, Mass.) came on after the leadoff home run and finished the game, going seven innings and allowing 12 hits and four earned runs. She fanned four and walked one to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Despres had three hits, including two doubles, while Panarelli's grand slam led to a 2-4, 4 RBI performance.
The delay to the start of the game prevented the teams from playing the second game of the scheduled doubleheader.
The Lancers complete their regular season above the .500 mark at 17-16. They resume play tomorrow with the first round of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tournament as they host the No. 5 seeded Bridgewater State Bears in a 4 p.m. game at Rockwood Park.
Portions of this Release Courtesy of Brandeis Sports Information