Lancers Combine for 24 Runs in Sweep of Bears

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Softball team (15-12, 5-3) is back in conference action today as they journeyed down to Bridgewater State (15-13, 5-3) in two games, delayed a day by the storms in the area yesterday. Worcester looks to continue their conference win streak to four, after grabbing two early week wins versus Fitchburg.

Final- Game 1 (6-Innings)

Worcester State: 10

Bridgewater State: 0

Final- Game 2

Worcester State: 14

Bridgewater State:5

How it Happened

The Lancers kicked off game one early in the first inning, as a run from junior Emma Lanpher (Charlton, MA) would be counted off a well placed after hit from junior Abigail Koziol (Lunenburg, MA.) 

The pitching and fielding for the Lancers would be the name of the game through the next four innings before the Lancers again found the scoring magic. A single from sophomore Bailey Tammaro (Fitchburg, MA) would get the top half of the fifth started strong, and she would then find herself on third off two wild pitches from the Bears to put herself in prime scoring position. A single to the shortstop from sophomore Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA) would place two runners on the corners, which would be all senior Emily Bartlett (Lowell, MA) needed to knock the two in for a 3-0 lead. A follow up single from Koziol would force a pitching change for the Bears, but that would not slow the tide. Soon after, sophomores Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) and Bella Gasbarro (Leominster, MA) along with junior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) would connect, with Gasbarro and Keefe's bring in three additional runs and extending the Worcester State to a 6-0 lead.

The Lancers would not sit quietly when they next had a chance at at bats as Lanpher and Lapoint would go back to back and Lapoint's triple sending Lanpher quickly across the plate from first for run number seven in the game. Bartlett would again get the job done, as her double would knock in run eight for Worcester State. An Adamuska single would get an additional runner in base with whom Gasbarro would send home with her single to right field before the Bears could rack up their third out.

The Lancers would shut down the Bears in the bottom of the sixth to end the game with the 10-0 victory for game one.

Bartlett would go all six innings in the win, keeping her sheet spotless with just a single walk and run with 10 strikeouts. 

Junior Sarah Gosselin (Charlton, MA) would take the mound in game two and after some early walks and a run in the first inning she would settle in to shut the Bears down in the second. While the Lancers tank would still be empty from their first game run cache, the Bears would put Gosselin into a pinch in the third with two outs and the bases loaded. A passed ball would see a play at the plate called for Bridgewater to get the first run of the inning across with a following single up the middle bringing in an additional two runs and a pitching change for Worcester as first year Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would get the call. After hitting one batter, Maloney would settle in for the last out as the Lancers looked to the fourth to end their run drought.

Worcester would finally remove the 0 from the scoreboard as sophomore Jayden Kelly (Tyngsboro, MA) would send the ball deep to center field for a two run home run to cut the lead to 4-2.

The Bears would grab one run back in the bottom of the inning after some clever base running and an error. That would not slow Worcester down though, as they would quickly put two runners on second and third for a Bartlett single to send home. Koziol then would step up to the plate and take her pitch deep into center, falling just short of the fence, for a double and run three of the inning to come across. 

A pitching change would be called by the Bears in a bid to preserve the 5-5 tie into the bottom of the inning. 

The bases would quickly be loaded by Bridgewater after a walk and a resulting Keefe sacrifice fly would bring across the lead run for Worcester before they could grab the third out of the inning. Worcester would snag two more runs in the sixth as another loaded bases walk would send run seven across followed by a Koziol RBI for run eight. 

Maloney would keep the Bears off the board in the sixth as both teams vied for the victory in the seventh. Worcester would make the victory out of hand for the Bears in the top of the seventh with three more runs, this time two coming from a first year Cali Brouillard (Millbury, MA)  triple and a Tammaro single before the Bears would go look to the bullpen for additional relief. Lapoint would capitalize on the change, doubling to right center to send Lanpher and Tammaro back into the dugout and claiming the 13-5 lead. Koziol would then RBI to send Lapoint across for run 14.

What's Next:

With the victory Worcester State moves to (17-12, 7-3) and will return to action on Wednesday when they host Lasell for two, for this year's Rosen Cancer Awareness Pink Out Game. Donations will be accepted during the game.