Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Softball team (23-14, 9-3) makes their final trip of the regular season today as they journey to Mass. Maritime Academy to face off with the Buccaneers (11-15, 2-10)  in two games with major playoff picture implications. Worcester State is currently still in contention for the top spot in the conference and two wins today will help bolster their chances. 

Final- Game 1

MMA: 1

Worcester State: 3

Final- Game 2

MMA: 5

Worcester State: 8

How it Happened: 

Worcester would start the game off quickly as junior shortstop Emma Lanpher (Charlton, MA) led off with a single for the Lancers. Sophomore infielder Emma Lapoint (Westfield MA) would eventually ground out but during the at bat a  passed ball from the Bucs would score Lanpher in for the early 1-0 lead. Senior pitcher Emily Bartlett (Lowell, MA) would strike out the side to hold down the Mass. Maritime offense in the first. 

Bartlett would continue to dominate as she would strike out a batter  and leave one on base to enter the third inning. Lanpher and Lapoint would work their way back on to base on repeat hits but they were unable to come home as the Buccaneers would lock down on defense. Bartlett and the Lancers defense would continue to play stellar defense but Mass. Maritime would find a way to record a run in the fourth. 

The fifth inning would see Lanoher again on the offensive as she sent a rocket into the outfield for a triple driving in sophomore center fielder Bailey Tammaro (Fitchburg, MA) to give Worcester a 2-1 lead. The game would remain scoreless until the top of the seventh where Tammaro hits a sacrifice fly scoring sophomore first baseman Amanada Adamuska (Dudley, MA) to give the Lancers a 3-1 advantage. Bartlett would close out the bottom of the inning for the complete game victory.

Bartlett would finish with 12 strikeouts, allowing just two hits in the action. With her first strikeout of the game Bartlett also notched her 500th career strikeout as she works to cut the distance between a program second place seating in career strikeouts. 

The second game of the double header would start just as fast for Worcester as junior catcher Abigail Koziol (Lunenburg, MA) drilled a single into right to drive in Lanpher to give Worcester an early 1-0 lead. First year pitcher Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would strike out two but struggle a bit with giving up a two run shot to give the Buccaneers a 2-1 lead. That lead would not last long as Lanpher would clear the bases and get a three run RBI double to put Worcester back in the lead at 4-2. Maloney would claim two batters in the bottom of the inning to hold the score at 4-2 heading into the third.

Worcester would be shut out of the scoring action in the third and the Buccaneers would capitalize to cut into the lead. Recording an early one out run off an error in left field to bring the lead to just a single run and following it up with a second run off an additional error in center field to tie the game up 4-4.

Errors would still plague the Lancers in the bottom of the fourth but the Lancers defense would rally up to prevent any further scoring for Mass. Maritime in the fourth to preserve the tie game. After, again being shut out of the scoring action in the top of the fifth, Worcester would aim to hit down Mass. Maritime again as well, but a homer to left field would instead provide the Buccaneers a 5-4 lead in the action. A pitching change for Worcester State would occur after the run as first year pitcher Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) would come in to relieve Maloney and hold off any damage the Bucs had on base as they entered the 6th inning. 

Tammaro would hit an RBI double to left field to tie the ball game back up at 5. Once again Worcester would clear the bases as the scorer's decision single was hit by Lanpher to score three and give the Lancers an 8-5 lead and a runner on third as she extended her bases on the throws trying to catch the runners at home. Coonan would get through the 6th without any damage and the Lancers would still lead entering the 7th inning.

The Worcester State offense would again cool off in the 7th inning shifting the Lancers focus to preserving the 8-5 lead in the bottom of the inning and holding on for the victory. Coonan would again shut down the Buccaneers offense as she struck out one and grabbed the win for Worcester State in the 8-5 victory.

What's Next:

Worcester State (25-14, 11-3) now awaits the conclusion of tomorrow's conference games to find out their postseason seeding and pairings.