Lancers Drop Two to Engineers

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Softball (15-10, 5-3) would aim to keep their two game win streak going today in a double header battle with out of conference but cross town foe the WPI Engineers (9-12-1, 4-4). The Lancers are looking to end the game with four straight wins and claim the Worcester Battle at Ralph Raymond Diamond with a dual victory over the Engineers.

Final- Game 1

WPI: 12

Worcester State: 0

Final- Game 2

WPI: 10

Worcester State: 3

How it Happened:

Pitching for game one for the Worcester State Lancers would be junior Bella Gasbarro (Tyngsboro, MA) who would give up a number of hits in the top of the first inning, leading to a quick three runs lead for the WPI Engineers. WPI would prove difficult to slow down as the runs would add up for the Engineers as Sandy Fairbairn hit the baseball deep into center field, past the fence and for the first homerun of the game before Riley O'Brein would hit the second, contributing to three more runs for the Engineers in the second. In a steep deficit early the Lancers would look to find some runs to work their way back into the game and the Lancers would need to make a change in hopes of doing so, swapping Beaulieu out for Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) in the top of the third. 

But the change in pitcher would not create the needed change the Lancers would be hoping for. Moments after the swap, the Lancers would quickly give up three more runs taken in by Alex Sheehan, Kallie Case, and Sydney Russel to push the lead out to 10-0. 

After a quiet fourth inning for both teams, the Lancers would give up two more runs which would result in a 12-0 game that WOrcester was unable to chip away at in the bottom of the fifth and instead look for motivation to take hold of the second game within this double header against the WPI Engineers. 

Now in the second of the two games, the Lancers would start on the right foot, getting three quick outs against the Engineers and sending the Lancers offense marching on to the field as junior Sarah Gosselin (Charlton, MA) would take lead pitching duties for Worcester. Worcester would come into the bottom of the first looking to regain some lost momentum from the first game, but while they would get sophomore Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) on with a walk, they would be left still without a hit since the first inning of game one.  

Worcester would continue their strong defensive presence into the second, making quick work of the Engineers and looking to find that elusive hit in the second. While the Lancers would make some decent contact on the ball in the second, none of the hits would stay fair and eventually Worcester would be back out on the field looking to continue to shut down WPI. 

The Engineers would get one on early in the third off a misplay in the field, but after just a single pitch the bases would be empty again as the runner was caught stealing by junior catcher Abigail Koziol (Lunenburg, MA) and junior shortstop Emma Lanpher (Charlton, MA). WPI would get their next batter on with a successful bunt down the third baseline who then be sent home for the opening run off a double for WPI to grab the 1-0 with two outs. A ball drilled to Lanpher, forcing her into a complete dive, that would result in two runners on the corner, where WPI would then nail their next single as well to see run number two across the plate for a 2-0 lead. WPI heated up on the two out count, similar to their success in game one, and dropped a ball into deep left center for two more runs across the plate and a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the third. 

Worcester would crack the hitting code in the bottom of the third though, as sophomore Bailey Tammaro (Fithcburg, MA)  would drop a ball into middle of the infield and be carried to third off a Lanpher single to right field. An attempted stolen base would lead to Tammaro diving home to beat the tag and Lanpher continuing her steal attempt to claim second, to then be moved to third off an sophomore Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA) sacrifice bunt. Worcester was unable to get Lanpher home though as Admuska, the lone hit of game one, was unable to beat out the throw to first. 

With the score settled at 4-1, the Lancers would call in first year Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) to the mound for the fourth. Tammaro would grab the first out of the inning on an acrobatic diving catch in centerfield, and some great team work by junior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) and sophomore Jayden Kelly (Tynsgboro, MA) would grab out two as Gasbarro would snag a low pop up to third for the final out of the top of the inning as the Lancers looked to put the pressure on in the bottom of the fourth but were unable to connect for another run.

The fifth inning would again see WPI threaten as the Engineers quickly had runners placed on third and first off a just beat out single and run down bunt. A deep double right over the left fielder's head would see WPI sending two more runs across with no outs registered. The following batter would hit nearly an identical dinger to left field that would bring in run number seven for WPI. Maloney would return to action on the mound in the fifth as the Lancers looked to slow WPI down.

Maloney and her Lancers defense would step it up to get out of the inning as the next batter popped up to second and the following flyout to center resulted in two outs as the center fielder quickly relayed the ball to Lanper on second for the third out to end the inning down only 7-1. The bottom of the fifth would see sophomore Camden Heenan (Webster, MA)  get things started for Worcester with a dropping single over the shortstop and was moved to second off a Tammaro sacrifice and then third from a Lanpher attempted single past the pitcher. Lapoint would bring Heenan home off a dropping single into right field for a 7-2 game into the sixth.

WPI would again threaten early in the sixth getting two runners second and third with just a single out registered. After snagging a second out, WPI would drill a ball into center field up the middle for two runs to cross the plate and a single runner on second. Worcester would work themselves out of the inning to carry a 9-2 game into the bottom of the sixth.

Worcester would create danger with two outs with Maloney walked and Keefe dropping the ball into shallow right field and shortly thereafter load the bases as Heenan was walked onto base, but Worceste was unable to bring anyone home as the WPI buckled down and forced the next play into a ground out.

WPI would grab a 10th run in the seventh with two outs of their own off a deep single to left field to carry a 10-2 score into the bottom of the seventh as Worcester looked to find eight runs to tie and nine to pull off the win in the seventh. Worcester would manage to get one on base before the Engineers shut down any potential comeback until Koziol stepped up with two outs to drill the ball deep into left field and bring Lanpher home for run number three on the day for the final run of the double-header Wednesday.

What's Next:

With the final outs called Worcester State now sits at (15-12, 5-3) and will shift their focus back to conference play this Saturday as they head to Bridgewater State for the double header with the first pitch of game one set for 12:30pm.