Game 2 --- Box Score

Worcester, MA --- Host Clark University snapped its season-long three-game losing streak with a pair of non-conference wins over crosstown rival Worcester State on Tuesday afternoon at O’Brien Field.

The Cougars took game one by a score of 3-2 and then followed that up with a decisive 7-0 win in the nightcap to improve to 18-6 overall while the Lancers slip back to .500 at 8-8.

Clark jumped out to a 2-0 lead after getting single runs in the first and second off of Worcester State starter Michealla Mahoney (Shrewsbury, MA).

The Lancers evened the game with one swing of the bat in the top of the third as Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) crushed a two-run blast off of Cougar hurler Sarah Carter (Worcester, MA).

Worcester State looked to be poised to take the lead in the fifth when they led off the inning with a single and double by Lauren Besozzi (Milford, MA) and Cordio respectively. Besozzi, however, was thrown out at third by Meghan Lennon (Charlton, MA) for the inning’s first out. Carter then settled down and got the final two outs to get out of the inning unscathed.

Clark collected the walk-off win with help from the Lancers in the bottom of the seventh. With one out in the frame Lauren Blake (Oakland, ME) and Mel Melkonian (Worcester, MA) registered back-to-back singles. Cleanup hitter Darcey Kurashige-Elliott (Berkeley, Calif.) then hit a ball to short that Cordio wasn’t able to handle, allowing the game-winning run to score.

Carter, who went the distance for the sixth time this season, picked up the win to improve to 10-1.

Joanna Clark (Windham, ME) had two hits for the Cougars, while Cordio paced the Lancer offense with a 2-for-4 showing, including a double and a homerun.

Game two saw the Cougars plate six runs in the second inning and get excellent starting pitching from freshman Nicole Meuse (Hudson, MA) en route to the shutout win.

Erin Murphy (Boxboro, MA) provided the biggest blow in the six-run second when she smacked a three-run homer, giving Clark an early edge. The inning also included a two-run double by Melissa Traft (Milton, MA) and a RBI double from Kurashige-Elliott.

Working with the lead, Meuse moved through the Lancer hitters quickly, yielding just five hits and one walk in six innings of work.

Clark’s other run came in the bottom of the sixth on a Traft RBI single.

Freshman Kelly Schroder (Auburn, MA) tossed a perfect seventh inning to seal the shutout.

Jaime Jacobs (Billerica, MA) and Mahoney each had two hits for Worcester State, while Clark was paced offensively by Traft who was 2-for-3 with three RBI. The Cougars 1-2-3-4 hitters (Blake, Melkonian, Traft and Kurashige-Elliott) were a combined 8-for-15 in game two.

Clark returns to the diamond on Friday when they continue their stretch of games against Worcester foes with a 3 PM start against WPI, while the Lancers travel to Western Connecticut on Thursday.