Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Softball team (2-4, 0-0) was back in action on Wednesday morning for two early day games after a break day in the Spring Break trip in Florida. The Lancers first faced off with the Luther College Norse (6-4, 0-0) before taking on the Southern Virginia University Knights (2-10, 0-0). Worcester went into the day with plenty of offensive attack and was looking to continue their tightened pitching to hit the .500 mark on the day.
Final
Luther: 6
Worcester State: 0
Final
Southern Virginia: 10
Worcester State: 3
How it Happened:
The first game action would see a pitching duel commence between senior Emily Bartlett (Lowell, MA) and junior Olivia Engler (Atlantic, IA) as each worked to get the batters off home base. Some early walks and singles kept the innings with action. It was not until the third that some real sticking happened on the scoreboard as Lancers loaded the bases and a walk by Bartlett would bring in the lone run of the inning on an unearned walk. Bartlett would remain composed and see Worcester out of the danger sitting down just one as the Norse left three stranded on base.
There was another burst of action after junior Ken Vavrichk (Bloomington, MN) was walked onto base, when senior Abby Spore (Cedar Rapids, IA) would send a ball to deep center field for a double that would bring in Luther's second run of the game. Worcester would attempt to answer in the bottom of the inning after sophomore Bailey Tammaro (Fitchburg, MA) doubled to center field, which looked to almost be long enough, but fell just short, banging off the bottom of the fence. After a rundown between second and third though Tammaro was tagged out on a fielder's choice and Luther was able to pitch their way out of trouble.
Worcester would threaten again in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore Bella Gasbarro (Leominster,MA) would single to left field and a catcher's interference, on sophomore Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA), would put two runners on with two outs, but Worcester was unable to find the last connection to get a run across the plate moving the comeback attempt to the seventh inning.
After Luther loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, first year Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) was sent to the mound to hold the status quo. Striking it hot at the right moment the Norse's would capitalize on the situation bringing in four runs before Coonan and the Lancers could get back to bat. Worcester would give it their all in the bottom of the inning but Engler was on point all game and shut the Lancers out of the scoring action to take the game 6-0.
Bartlett would end the game going for six innings of action with six strikeouts while Coonan would go one with a strikeout to her name and a single earned run.
Worcester would not let their scorelessnes stand in game two though as first year Cali Brouillard (Millbury, MA) would get on base with two outs and then with some quick thinking feet worked her way to third during junior Abigail Koziol's (Lunenburg, MA) at bat. All that extra work ended up being for not though as Koziol sent a dinger over the left field fence for a two run home run. Junior Sarah Gosselin (Charlton, MA) would take the start for the Lancers on the mound and work the Knights into some tight binds , but with a few contacts Southern Virginia was able to get one of the runs back before Worcester got out of the first.
The score would remain 2-1 into the bottom of the third when the Knights would again create some offensive action off some deep contact to claim the lead at 3-2. While sophomore Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) would get herself on base after a blistering single to right field, and steal her way to second, she would get left on base along with Lapoint at the top of the fourth. Gosselin would make quick work of the bottom of the inning to keep the game at just a single run as the infield helped close out the action.
The fifth inning would see both teams come up and come back down quickly as each team's defense made a strong showing on the field. The lone exception was a Tammaro double, that a junior Emma Lanpher (Charlton, MA) sacrifice bunt would guide to third, would come home on a passed ball by the Knights to make the score 3-3. Trouble was brewing though in the sixth inning, as the Lancers came back out on the field to shut down Southern Virginia. The Knights managed to finally find the Lancers secret code starting the inning off to straight hits that would see sophomore Katie Claytor (Buena Vista, VA) score and force a pitching change as junior Ella Beaulieu (Tynsgboro, MA) would take over for Gosselin. Southern Virginia would then single and triple to bring in four runs in without an out on the board. A follow up walk and passed ball would bring a fifth run and runners on second and third. A junior Sophia Badell (South Jordan, UT) single tight on the left field line would bring in a further two runs and first year Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) in for her attempt at the mound. Maloney would force a flyout to center field and the power arm of Tammaro caught the Knights unaware creating an ensuing run off between third and home that would grab two outs on the play. An additional ground out would finally see Worcester out of the inning but the damage was done.
A pitching change for Southern Virginia was no help for Worcester as they went down in four batters to take the 10-3 loss.
Gosselin would end the game with five innings pitched and five strikeouts whilel Koziol's home run would net her the only two RBIs of the game.
What's Next:
Worcester now sits at (2-6, 0-0) at the end of the day and with weather playing a potential factor is looking at some potential shifting of games for the remainder of their trip. As the schedule sits now, Worcester State will match up with Knox at 9am and Keuka at 1:30pm tomorrow.