Mahoney Leads Softball In Twinbill Sweep Of Elms

Chicopee, MA --- Senior Michaella Mahoney (Shrewsbury, MA) was a combined 4 for 6 at the plate with four RBI and tossed complete-game shutout in the first game to help lift the Worcester State to a sweep of Saturday afternoon's non-conference softball doubleheader with Elms College on Saturday at Cheryl R. Condon Field. 
 
The Lancers claimed a 5-0 victory in game one and followed that with a 9-2 win in game two and is now 9-3 on the season. Elms falls to 5-8 overall. 
  
In game one, Worcester State broke the scoreless tie in the top of the second when freshman Carolyn Hassett (Charlton, MA) singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then raced to third on a wild pitch. A single to left field by first-year Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, MA) allowed Hassett to come full circle with the first run of the game. Sophomore Alex Kerr (Franklin, MA) then launched a towering two-run home run over the right field fence giving the Lancers a 3-0 lead.
 
Worcester State added to its lead in the top of the third when third-year Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) and Mahoney connected for back-to-back doubles, the latter of which resulted in the Lancers' fourth tally of the game. Mahoney advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a sacrifice fly by classmate Jaime Jacobs (Billerica, MA) to give Worcester State a 5-0 cushion.
 
Elms' junior Courtney Hampton (Westfield, MA) then settled down and held the Lancers at bay for the rest of the game, tossing three strikeouts in the process but suffered the loss to move to 3-4 on the season.
 
Mahoney (4-0) scattered six hits and fanned eight batters en route to the win. Mahoney helped her own cause by going 2 for 3 with an RBI while, Kerr drove in two on her blast in the second frame.
 
Elms' senior Alison McBride (East Providence, RR) was 2 for 3 in the losing effort. 
  
In the nightcap, the Lancers started off the game crossing the plate in the top of the first to stake a 1-0 edge, Elms' senior Destinee Meeker (Bantam, CT) and Worcester State sophomore Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) pitched three scoreless innings until a five-run fifth inning opened up the game for the Lancers.
 
A bases loaded walk to Mahoney brought in the first run and two runs scored on a Blazers' throwing error to set up Lamoureux who cranked a home run to left center field to give Worcester State a 6-0 lead.
 
The Lancers tacked on two in the top of the sixth stanza highlighted by a two-run single through the left side by Mahoney to up the lead to 8-0.
 
Elms got the two runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Meeker singled in a pair of runs but a late Lancers' run in the top of the seventh sealed a 9-2 victory for Worcester State.
 
Second-year Kylene Pease (Ashland, MA) was 4 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Cordio and Mahoney drilled two hits each to spark the Lancers' offense.
 
Everson (3-1) tossed five strikeouts in the complete-game win, while Elms' junior Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, MA) delivered two hits, while Meeker drove in two runs in the loss.
 
Meeker struck out three batters and suffered the loss in the circle and is now 3-3 overall.
 
Elms returns to non-conference action on Monday against Smith College at 4:30 PM while the Lancers will travel to Rhode Island College for a twinbill starting at 6 on Tuesday.

Release Courtesy of Elms Sports Information