Lancers Swept by Westfield State in MASCAC Opener

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Worcester State University softball team opened up Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play on Saturday with a pair of losses to Westfield State University by scores of 3-0 and 7-6.

The Owls improve to 8-6 on the season and 2-0 in the MASCAC. The Lancers are now 3-11 overall and drop to 0-2 in conference play.

GAME ONE: Westfield State 3, Worcester State 0

In the first game of the afternoon Westfield led 1-0 in the bottom of the second after a groundball from Sydney Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) allowed Caitlin Hughes (Hanson, Mass.) to score.

Liz Kelly (Quincy, Mass.) and Julia Sullivan (West Barnstable, Mass.) scored in the bottom of the fifth when Maddy Atkocaitis (Westfield, Mass.) hammered a 2-RBI double to gain the 3-0 lead over the Lancers.

Sullivan (3-4) pitched a complete game for the Owls and allowed five hits. Kayla Humphrey (1-2) allowed six hits and earned the loss for Worcester.

GAME TWO: Westfield State 7, Worcester State 6

In the nightcap, the game was tied 1-1 until a 2-run homerun from Atkocaitis gave Westfield a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third.

Westfield led 5-2 in the top of the seventh until a pair of home runs from Worcester State's Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.) and Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.) put the Lancers ahead 6-5.

The Owls' Angelica Banning (E. Granby, Conn.) drove in a run with a fielders' choice to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh, as the Owls loaded the bases but we able to get just a single run.

The Lancers had one hit from Becky Brandeberry (Phillipston, Mass.) in the top of the eighth, but were unable to score a run. 

An eighth-inning single from Erika Gouin (Hampden, Mass.) scored Liz Kelly with the winning run, to gain the 7-6 victory.

Starting pitcher Sarah Eugenio (Marshfield, Mass) tossed a complete game, scattering 13 hits and improved to 5-0 on the season.

The Lancers used three different pitchers; Rachel Frisch (Worcester, Mass.) walked away with the loss after allowing three hits and two runs in the final two innings.

Worcester State will host Massachusetts Maritime Academy in a conference doubleheader tomorrow (Apr. 9), starting at 12 p.m.

Release Courtesy of Westfield State Sports Information