Cape Coral, FL --- The Worcester State softball team was blanked in their opener 3-0 before they dropped a 7-6 setback to the University of New England on the final day of their annual Florida Trip on Friday.
Senior Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) and junior Alex Kerr (Franklin, MA) highlighted the offensive attack in their loss to the Nor'easters with homers.
Behind a stellar pitching performance by St. Olaf junior Amy Prok (Delano, MN), she would hold the Lancers to just two hits. Prok (3-2) finished with six strikeouts and she issued two walks.
Cordio and senior Jaime Jacobs (Billerica, MA) registered the lone base-knocks for WSU. Cordio was the only batter to get past first for the game as she was reached with no outs and was stranded in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lions (7-4) snapped a scoreless game in the top of the fourth on a run producing at-bat by sophomore Christina Miller (White Bear Lake, MN) and an RBI single by senior Kayla Gronli (Brooklyn Park, MN). St. Olaf's third run came home in the fifth on an RBI double by junior Maggie Scholer (Norwalk, IA).
Junior Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) shouldered the setback for the Lancers as her record drops to 1-4. Everson scattered eight hits, but allowed three runs (two earned) and she fanned six.
Scholer was 3-for-4 for the Lions as the only multi-hitter of the contest.
In the second contest, Cordio and Kerr highlighted an offensive explosion in the second inning that saw both jack dingers in a four-run frame. Kerr lifted a solo shot and Cordio hammered a two-run homer. Senior Lauren Besozzi (Milford, MA) also scampered home on an errant throw by the catcher, who tried to cut down a runner advancing to second.
The Nor'easters (6-4) made it a 4-3 contest on a pinch-hit RBI single by junior Megan Gauger (South Paris, ME) and a two-run pinch-hit double by senior Maegan Johnson (Standish, ME) as they took advantage of the bases loaded. Third-year Erin Grover (Biddleford, ME) tied the score on a solo home-run in the bottom of the fifth.
Worcester State (2-8) responded in the top of the sixth by pushing across a pair with two-outs.
Junior Aimee Lamoureux (E. Brookfield, MA) doubled and then Besozzi drew a walk to start the rally before a miscue in the infield allowed Lamoureux to score. Cordio then singled in Besozzi for the 7-5 lead and insurance run.
But the University of New England got to sophomore Kelly Winter (Attleboro, MA) in the bottom of the seventh as they juiced the bases with two outs and recorded three consecutive RBI singles for the walk-off win. Sophomore Kirstyn Stanley (Rochester, NH) had the game-winning hit for the Nor'easters.
Freshman Kelly Ried (Nantucket, MA) picked up the win for UNE in relief for ending the sixth and pitching a perfect seventh as she moves to 1-1 on the campaign.
Winter (0-3) entered the game in the fourth – getting out of a bases loaded, one out jam – as she tallied four punch outs in her appearance.
Cordio and Besozzi each recorded two hits apiece while Besozzi crossed home plate twice. Grover was 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead four multi-hitters for the University of New England.
UNE had the 12-8 advantage in base-knocks on the afternoon.
The Lancers will take a break and play again next Thursday at home against 2011 NCAA New England Regional finalist Rhode Island College in a twinbill starting at 5 PM at Rockwood Park.