Softball Drops Two Games by One Run to St. Lawrence and Washington & Jefferson

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Worcester State University softball team dropped two games by one run to St. Lawrence and Washington & Jefferson on the second day of competition during their Florida spring games.

THE BASICS

March 19, 2018

Hancock Park

Record: Worcester State (0-4)

GAME ONE: St. Lawrence 9, Worcester State 8

After rallying back and tying the score at 8-8 in the top of the seventh inning, the Lancers gave up a walkoff home run in the bottom half of the inning to suffer their third loss of the season by a score of 9-8.

Following a 1-2-3 top half of the inning, the St. Lawrence Saints scored four runs on two hits in the reverse side, including a 3-RBI homerun by Skylar Hein (Woodinville, Wash.), to take a 4-0 lead going into the second inning.

The Saints added to their lead in the bottom of the second inning when Hein reached on a Worcester State fielding error, and Taylor Armijo (El Segundo, Calif.) scored the fifth run of the game.

Worcester State broke through with a 2-RBI home run in the top of the third from senior captain Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) to set the score at 5-2 Saints.

The Blue and Gold added another run in the top of the fourth on a fielding error.

St. Lawrence put their lead back at four in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Elle Gray (Sitka, Alaska), and Deanna Sullivan (Corona, Calif.) stole home for the 7-3 score.

Each team plated another run before heading into the seventh inning with the scoreboard reading 8-5 Saints. Monica Ferrazzani (North Reading, Mass.) hit an RBI single in the top of the fifth, and Caitlin Syphurs (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) registered a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.

Worcester State rallied back in the top of the seventh inning when they scored four runs on three hits and one Saint error to knot the game at 8-8. With one out on the board, Kaiulani Ennis (Swansea, Mass.) doubled to right center and Ferrazzani reached on a fielding error to put runners at first and second. Katie Polselli (Charlton, Mass.) singled to shortstop to load the bases. The Saints got the force out at home on the next at-bat, and the Lancers had bases loaded with two outs. Pinch hitter, Kaci Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) sent one run home on a walk and then Ashley Lynch (Shrewsbury, Mass.) came through with a game-tying 3-RBI double to left field for the 8-8 mark.

Saint Lawrence earned the win in the reverse side of the inning as the leadoff batter  Mylea Mann (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) homered to left center for the 9-8 win.

• St. Lawrence's Gray, Syphurs, and Armijo each batted 2-for-3.
• Syphurs held a team-high three RBI in the win.
• Sullivan recorded a 1.000 on base percentage for the Saints, as she batted 1-for-1 and walked three times. She logged a game-high three runs.
• Worcester State's Lynch, Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.), and Ferrazzani each had two hits.
• Lynch led with three RBI, while Despres recorded two on her first home run of the season.
• Worcester State's starter and closer, Rachel Frisch (Worcester, Mass.), suffered her second loss of the season as she pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed six runs (one unearned) and walked four batters.
• Saint Lawrence's relief pitcher Caroline Young (Goldsboro, N.C.) earned the win in 1/3 innings pitched.

GAME TWO: Washington & Jefferson 5, Worcester State 4

The Lancers dropped their second game of the day as they came up short in an attempted comeback against the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson at Hancock Park Field #5.

The Presidents earned a quick lead as they scored three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. Addy Helffrich (Sewickley, Pa.) hit a 2-RBI single with no outs on the board. The Presidents gained another run on a sacrifice fly from Brooke McCleeser (Johnstown, Pa.) for the 3-0 lead going into the bottom half of the inning.

The second and third innings saw a total of two hits total between to the two teams and remained scoreless.

Washington & Jefferson added to their lead in the top of the fourth as Ally Doty (Hillard, Ohio) hit a 2-RBI single to right center for the 5-0 lead.

Worcester State anticipated a comeback in the bottom of the sixth inning as they scored four runs on five hits to set the score at 5-4, still in favor of the Presidents. Lynch reached base on a walk, and then Ferrazzani singled. Following a wild pitch to put runners at second and third, Despres came up with an RBI single to plate the first Lancer run of the day. Next at bat was Smith-Porter who struck on the first pitched and lined the ball over the centerfield wall for a 3-RBI home run to advance the score to 5-4.

After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 7^th inning, Worcester State had one more shot at tying the score or going ahead for the win. However, the Lancers were held to no hits and the game concluded with the Presidents on top.

• Washington & Jefferson's Meghan Staab (Pittsburgh, Pa.) batted 2-for-3 while Rachel Johnson (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Doty each batted 2-for-4 in the game.
• Doty and Helffrich each recorded two RBI each for the Presidents.
• Worcester State's Despres and Smith-Porter each logged two hits apiece and batted in the four runs. Smith-Porter logged her first home run of the season (the team's second).
• Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa.) earned the win in the circle in 5 1/3 innings pitched, while Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa.) received the save.
• Worcester State's freshman Olivia Larson (Marlboro, Mass.) was tabbed with the loss. Smith-Porter saw seven innings of relief pitching and allowed just two runs on seven hits and struck out four batters.
• Each team left six baserunner stranded.
• There were no errors made by either team in the contest.

UP NEXT

The softball team heads to Legends Way tomorrow for games against Grinnell and Bowdoin, starting at 9 a.m.

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