Hassett Helps Softball Draw Split With Trinity To End Regular Season

Hartford, CT --- Worcester State and Trinity (CT) split a series on Monday afternoon with the Lancers taking the 3-2 opener and the Bantams earning the 3-1 triumph in the nightcap.

With the win and the loss, the Lancers move to 22-15 while Trinity ends their 2013 campaign at 16-18. The Blue and Gold start postseason play with a first-round MASCAC Tournament game at home against sixth-seeded Framingham State on Thursday at 5 PM.

In the first game, the Bantams opened the scoring with the 1-0 margin in the opening frame.

Freshman Elizabeth McQuaid (Lowell, MA) drew a one-out walk before she moved to second on a passed ball and third on a passed ball. Classmate Erica Correa (Glen Rock, NJ) then drove in McQuaid on a sacrifice fly.

The Blue and Gold eventually answered back in the top of the fourth when they took over the 2-1 edge.

Junior Carolyn Hassett (Charlton, MA) scampered home from second on a misplayed ball by the shortstop on a heads-up running play and junior Hillary Hart (Clinton, MA) tacked on another score on an RBI single.

Trinity knotted the score 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth when third-year Abigal Ostrom (Carlisle, MA) plated McQuaid, who reached on a saftey and moved into scoring position on a bobbled ball by the leftfielder.

But the Lancers scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the sixth. Hassett started off the inning with a singled before reaching second on a sacrifice and third on a passed ball. Hart helped cash in on the opportunity with her second sacrifice fly of the contest.

In the bottom half of the frame, Trinity nearly equalized the score when senior Kerry McCarthy (Andover, MA) was on her way to the plate following a chopper to third that was put in play by junior Olivia Berry (Quincy, MA), but senior Alex Kerr (Franklin, MA) fired a laser beam cut her down at the plate.

Senior Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) set down the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to help preserve the win.

Everson (8-5) finished her 12th complete game of the season and allowed two unearned runs to go with eight base-knocks. She also fanned three and walked one.

Freshman Hannah King (Kennebunk, ME) shouldered the setback for the Bantams. King (13-10) yielded a trio of unearned runs on three hits while she rung up six on strikes, issued two free passes and she hit one batter.

McQuaid and McCarthy paced an eight-hit attack in the opener with two safties each for the hosts while Hassett scored twice and went 2-for-3 as the lone multi-hitter.

In the final contest, Ostrom ignited Trinity's offense to start off the game with a run producing single to plate senior Caroline Blanchard (Norwich, CT) for the 1-0 advantage in the top of the first.

The Bantams added another score in the bottom of the second on the third home-run of the year by junior Christina Galese (Fairfield, NJ).

Worcester State did cut the lead in half in the top of the third on an RBI single by Hassett to score freshman Sara Pelletier (Leominster, MA), but Trinity answered right back with a solo homer by McQuaid in the bottom of the inning.

The two pitchers then settled in for a pitchers duel as the Bantams earned the win by a stellar performance in the circle by King, who set down 11 of her final 13 batters over her final four frames of work.

King stranded a man on third in the fourth and helped spin a double play in the sixth while she notched all three of her strikeouts in the stretch for the hosts. King (14-10) scattered five hits and allowed one unearned run.

Freshman Meghan Rich (Chelmsford, MA) matched the effort to keep her team in the contest by getting out of jams over her final three frames which included runners on the corners in the bottom of the sixth and a man on second in the seventh.

Rich (9-6) gave up three earned runs on six hits to go with two walks and one of punchout.

Hassett and Pellitier both were the contests lone multi-hitters as the Bantams outhit their opponents, 6-5, in the nightcap.