Owls Softball Gets A Split At Worcester

WORCESTER, Mass. - The Worcester State University softball team split a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Westfield State University on Sunday afternoon at Raymond Diamond. Worcester State won game one 3-2 in eight innings, before the Owls took game two 7-4.

With the split, Worcester State moves to 3-12-1 on the season and 1-4-1 in league play. Westfield State moves to 8-8 and 2-4 in conference.

Game 1 - Worcester State 3, Westfield State 2 (8 innings)

Game one started as a pitchers' duel, before some late-inning theatrics led to a walkoff win for the Lancers.

Neither team found the scoreboard until the top of the fifth inning, when first-year Lily Spencer (South Deerfield, Mass.) put the Owls ahead 1-0 on an RBI single to center field, scoring junior Meghan Doyle (Marshfield, Mass.).

It appeared the narrow lead may hold up until a two-out reach on error by senior Ally Tocman (Shrewsbury, Mass.) brought home graduate student Samantha Stake (Worcester, Mass.) to tie the game at one in the bottom of the sixth, eventually forcing extra innings.

An RBI double with no outs in the top of the eighth from senior Emily Arredondo (Woburn, Mass.) put the Owls back on top by a score of 2-1. Worcester State pitcher Liv Larson (Marlborough, Mass.) was able to limit the damage however, stranding Arredondo to keep the Lancer deficit at just one, which would prove crucial.

In the bottom of the frame, Stake led off the inning with a bunt base hit. Two batters later, first-year Emily Bartlett (Lowell, Mass.) singled through the right side, moving Stake over to third, but with no Owl covering second, Bartlett scampered into scoring position with just one away. Tocman delivered in the next at bat with Worcester's second bunt base hit of the inning as Stake dodged the tag to tie the score at 2-2.

Sophomore Rachel Sinclair (Westminster, Mass.) delivered the walkoff hit a batter later, poking a single to center field to bring home Bartlett from third and giving Worcester State its first league win of the season.

Larson got the win in the circle for Worcester State, throwing three innings in relief and allowing just one earned on two hits. Bartlett got the start and looked strong as well, allowing no earned runs on three hits while striking out six over five innings in the no decision. Westfield's Arredondo took the loss, allowing two earned on nine hits in 7.1 innings pitched.

Game 2 - Westfield State 7, Worcester State 4

Westfield State came from behind in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader to earn the split.

The Lancers put up a four-spot in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to the early lead. A two-run single from Tocman got the scoring going for Worcester State, followed by an RBI single from Sinclair to push the lead to 3-0. Sinclair came around to score on an error after a Victoria Alexander (Worcester, Mass.) single to cap the four-run first.

Senior Madison Philbrook (Westhampton, Mass.) began the visitors on the comeback trail in the top of the second inning, blasting a lined shot over the fence in right center field to reduce the deficit to 4-1. In the top of the third, a two-run double from Farrah Adam (West Springfield, Mass.) cut the lead to 4-3, before Philbrook delivered again with an RBI single to tie the game.

Westfield State scored for the third consecutive inning in the top of the fourth to take the lead when junior Brenna Welch (Halifax, Mass.) recorded an RBI single and putting the Owls on top for the first time in the contest. 

After Worcester State's bats remained silent, Westfield added two more in the top of the seventh, both on Lancer fielding errors, to add some insurance and take a 7-4 lead. Worcester State would go down quietly in the bottom of the seventh, and Westfield State was able to cap its comeback with a victory.

Welch got the win in the circle for the Owls, allowing just two earned on nine hits in the victory. Relief pitcher Jen Thorburn (Groton, Mass.) took the loss for Worcester State, alling just one earned on six hits in 4.1 innings pitched.

-- story courtesy Worcester State sports info