Worcester, MA- Making it 15 straight with a crucial win over Framingham State in the quarterfinals on Thursday, the Lancers Softball team (25-12, 9-5) advanced to the MASCAC semifinals winner pod where they would take on the #1 seeded Westfield State (32-9, 11-3). In the regular season the Lancers provided Westfield one of their three losses with a 7-0 victory.

Final- 9 Innings

Worcester State: 3

Westfield State: 2

How it Happened:

Worcester would play the Owls tight in the meeting allowing the Owls just a single run in the bottom of the first off a second batter homer. From there the Lancers were locked in for the win, but were unable to find the necessary goals to make it happen in the early innings. The Owls would manage to work in another run in the bottom of the fourth, this time off a lead off double and a follow up single before an out could be recorded. Worcester would nearly put themselves in charge of the game in the fifth after loading the bases but Westfield's defense would work their way out of the threat to preserve the 2-0 lead.  

The top of the sixth would finally find the Lancers find their missing run off a junior Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) contact that would send in junior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA). Westfield would look to provide themselves some cushion room in the bottom of the inning but Worcester was giving no quarter pushing the action to the seventh. 

Worcester would manage to tie the game up in seventh off a Lanpher run on an error that would push the pressure to the Owls in the bottom of the inning for a chance at the walk off. The Lancers would not even give them a moment to think about it before grabbing three quick outs and forcing extra innings. 

In the ninth Worcester would get the lead run off a Lanpher fly out that would bring in junior Camden Heenan (Webster, MA) from third for the go ahead run. Westfield would work to close the gap in the ninth and look for the extension or the win but Worcester held them off, claiming the 3-2 victory. 

Senior Sarah Gosselin (Charlton, MA) and sophomore Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would combine to allow just nine hits and recording seven strikeouts in the win.

What's Next:

The Lancers (26-12, 9-5) punch their ticket with their 16th straight win to the MASCAC Championship game tomorrow at 12pm with an expected location to be a return to Westfield State pending playable field conditions