Lancers Sweep Bears in Patriot Day Action

Worcester, MA- After a weekend off of action the Worcester State Softball team (15-13, 7-3) stepped back onto the diamond for a Patriots Day afternoon showdown with the Bridgewater State Bears. As the season tips towards the final conference games, today's game held crucial final seeding potential for the two teams.

Final

Worcester State: 7

Bridgewater State: 1

How it Happened:

In a pitching duel of game one each team's pitcher would work the zone and the counts. The Bears found early success in the top of the first recording the opening run but each team would be kept off the board further through the second inning. Each team managed to place runners in scoring positions but the team defense on both sides was solid.

The third and fourth would remain a scoreless battle but that would all change in the bottom of the fifth as a grouping of bunts and a walk would find senior Bailey Tammarro (Fitchburg, MA), senior Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) and senior Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA) on base. On the first pitch delivered to senior Bella Gasbarro (Leominster, MA) she would connect deep for a grand slam to center field and catapult the Lancers into the 4-1 lead. Worcester looked to extend the lead, loading the bases again but the Bears managed to force the flyout and hold the score at 4-1 into the sixth. 

The Bears would be unable to cut into the lead as junior Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would continue her dominant performance on the mound. Lapoint, who is on her hunt for her career 100th RBI, would single to second and provide the chance for junior Cali Brouillard (Millbury, MA) to come across for run five. The Lancers would again load up the bases as Lapoint advanced to second on a Gasbarro fielder's choice due to an error and a senior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) single to left field would again load the bases. A fielder choice on first year Zoie Stevens (Claremont, NH) would provide the Bears a second out but also an additional run for Worcester as Lapoint crossed in the action for the 6-1 lead, which would hold until the final out of the game.

Maloney and the Lancers defense would make quick work of the top of the seventh as they claimed the 6-1 game one win.

Maloney would record four strikeouts in the complete game victory.

Final:

Worcester State: 4

Bridgewater State: 3

How it Happened:

The Bears would start the scoring action early with a first batter center field home run but Worcester would not allow the lead to stand for long. Stevens would connect with a solid contact to left center for a double that would charge in Lapoint and Adamuska for two runs before the Bears could work the batters off the plate. 

The bottom of the second would find the Lancers adding some runs to the board as they loaded the bases up. Keefe singled a dinger up the middle to bring in Tammaro and kept the bases loaded for Stevens who followed the script with a shot up the middle and Adamuska crossed for the 4-1 lead. 

The fourth would find the Bears claim back two runs but Worcester held off attempts to tie to take the 4-3 lead through the sixth. The Bears would look to extend the game in the top of the seventh but a diving catch by Lapoint, a grounder to Gasbarro and a fly out to Tammaro would conclude the Lancer sweep with the 4-3 victory.

Junior Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) would go for the complete game win recording two strikeouts in the action. 

What's Next:

The Lancers (17-13, 9-3) take a day away from action before facing Lasell in a non conference meeting on Wednesday with first pitch at 4pm in the two game set.