Softball Tops SUNY Poly to Earn Opening Day Split

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Worcester State University softball defeated SUNY Poly 5-2 in the second game on Saturday to earn a split of the first two games of the 2022 season.

The Lancers (1-1) picked up the win over the Wildcats after falling to Westminster 10-0 in five innings earlier in the day.

They will return to action tomorrow afternoon when they face Morrisville State at 1:30 PM, followed by a game against Suffolk at 3:30 PM.

Game 1: Worcester State 5, SUNY Poly 2

The Lancers did all of their damage in the bottom of the third inning, scoring five runs in a rally that included five hits and took advantage of a Wildcats error.

Jackie Andry (Westford, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and stole second before coming around to score on a throwing error.

Emily Bartlett (Lowell, Mass.), Abigail Koziol (Lunenburg, Mass.), and Rachel Sinclair (Westminster, Mass.) all drove in runs with singles in the frame, with Bartlett and Koziol joining Brynna Meeker (Northwood, N.H.) and Jacqui Schwalm (Billerica, Mass.) scoring runs.

The Wildcats pulled back a pair in the top of the furth when Aeron Hamm hit a two-run double to left center, but that would stand as the only blemish against Jen Thorburn (Groton, Mass.), who earned the win with a complete game.

Thorburn struck out eight batters and issued just one walk while improving to 1-0 on the season in the circle.

Game 2: Westminster 10, Worcester State 0 (5 inn.)

The Titans outhit Worcester 11-5 and took a 7-0 lead after two innings.

After falling behind 2-0 on a two-run double to center field by Mackenzie Latess (New Castle, Pa.), the Lancers loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first inning, but Madison Brown (Lisbon, Ohio) struck out the side to end the threat.

Brown, who worked four innings and struck out six, worked out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning as well. She allowed five hits and walked two batters, both of them Meeker.

Bartlett took the loss after allowing six earned runs on eight hits and six walks. The Lancers issued eight free passes and only struck out one batter in defeat.