Worcester, MA --- Senior Jaime Jacobs (Billerica, MA) helped spark Worcester State with a 3-for-6 and four RBIs at the plate to propel the Lancers to a 5-0 and 2-0 sweep of Fitchburg State in MASCAC softball action this evening at Rockwood Park.
Jacobs hammered a two-run homer in the opener before she notched what proved to be the game-winning base-knock in the nightcap.
The Blue and Gold went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first when sophomore Carolyn Hassett (Charlton, MA) stroked a double with one man down. She then swiped second and scored on an errant throw by the catcher.
After freshman Katie Roy (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) was plunked to lead-off the bottom of the second, Jacobs followed with her first home-run of the season and the third of her career to left field.
Worcester State scored five more times in the bottom of the fifth when they took advantage of consecutive miscues that put runners in scoring position. Senior Lauren Besozzi (Milford, MA) belted a double to left field that scored both runners for the 5-0 advantage.
Junior Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) ran her scoreless innings streak to 23 as she tossed a complete game eight-hitter. In her fourth shutout of the campaign, Everson (12-5) fanned four and walked no one.
The Falcons, however, made Everson work for the victory when they would put base-runners on in all but one inning. Fitchburg State though would strand a trio in scoring position as the result.
Freshman Brittany Whiting (Sharon, MA) shouldered the setback for the visitors. Whiting would allow five runs (two earned) on four hits to go with five strikeouts and she did not issue a free pass.
Fitchburg State also out hit the Lancers as Falcon sophomore Marissa Binnall (Fitchburg, MA) was the lone multi-hitter with a 2-for-3 appearance at the plate.
Whiting and Roy battled in a pitcher's duel in the second contest. Whiting yielded three hits and stranded two in scoring position over the first five innings and Roy matched the effort by giving up five hits over her first six innings of work, but she left five men at second and third – including the bases juiced in the fourth inning.
The Lancers finally got to Whiting in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) started the rally with a single and got to second on a heads-up running play with no one covering the bag. Cordio moved to third on a bunt before junior Aimee Lamoureux (E. Brookfield, MA) followed with a single.
In the next at-bat, Everson reached when Cordio was tagged out by the third baseman on a ball that went right to her and it appeared as though the Falcons would escape the inning. But with two down, Jacobs came through in the clutch with a seeing-eye single up the middle to plate both runners, who advanced one base each on a wild pitch to put them into scoring position.
Roy closed the door with a perfect seventh to improve her season mark to 3-2. She ended the game with seven solo base-knocks, two strikeouts and one walk.
Whiting was the tough luck loser in the second game as her record drops to 5-14 with both losses. She gave up two runs with six hits and she finished with one punch out.
Fitchburg State held the slim 7-6 lead in the hitting department as junior Alycia McGrail (N. Brookfield, MA) chipped in with two hits for the visitors. Jacobs was 2-for-3 in the triumph for the Lancers as the only multi-hitter.
Worcester State will play again at home on Thursday on "Senior Day" with a 5 PM double-header matchup against Brandeis. The Falcons host Westfield State in a double-header in their regular season finale on Saturday at 12 PM.