Lancers Come Away with Two on Day Two of Spring Break Action

Worcester, MA- After a late storm last night that prevented Worcester from getting two in, the Worcester State Softball team (0-1,0-0) was determined to grab their first win of the season in day two action. The afternoon action would start with a meeting with the Milwaukee School of Engineering before wrapping up the sunlight versus Eastern Connecticut. 

Final

Game 1

Worcester State: 6

MSOE: 5

Game 2

Worcester State: 9

East Conn.: 8

How it Happened:

Worcester would brush off some of the scoring rut from yesterday early in the first with a sacrifice fly from senior Abigail Koziol (Lunenburg, MA) that would send fellow senior Emma Lanpher (Charlton, MA) across for the opening run of the game. A junior Bella Gasbarro (Leominster, MA) triple would find junior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) record run two and rounding out the scoring action in the first was a junior Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) single to complete Gasbarro's trip around the bases. 

The second would not be any less quiet as a Keefe single would this time score juniors Bailey Tammaro (Fitchburg, MA) and Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA) for Worcester to claim the early 5-0 lead. Milwaukee would claim one back in the second before Worcester would claim their final run of the game at the top of the fourth off a Gasbarro squeeze that would find the out but also the Lapoint score.

MSOE would attempt to mount the comeback, recording a run in the fourth and fifth to find the game set at 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Although the Lancers would allow two runs, sophomore Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) would hold on for the save as fellow sophomore Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would claim the Lancers first win of the season.

The excitement did not die down for game two as Worcester found themselves down 4-0 at the end of the first before they began to rally back into possession of the game. A Koziol ground out would allow the opportunity for Lanpher to again, in a deja vu moment to game one, followed by yet another Gasbarro strike that found ehr on base after an error that would allow Lapoint to grab run two. 

Eastern Connecticut tacked on two more runs in the top of the second after a pitching swap would find Maloney back on the mound, but would thereafter settle in for the action closing down the inning. Each team looked to make quick work of the third, but Worcester put the stall on in the bottom with two outs as Adamuska doubled to centerfield for a Koziol score. Tammaro  would then come to the plate with the bases loaded and crank a triple into deep centerfield, with the ball just falling over the outstretched glove of the centerfielder to tie the game up at 6-6. Lanpher would do the honors with the next at bat, claiming the first Lancer lead of the game of a single to center field. 

After another quick top of the inning Worcester would add a further run as junior Carisa Andrews (Medfield, MA) slapped a hit to short that would find her sacrifice her chance on base for the assured run of Gasbarro. Things became a bit dicey in the 5th and 6th as Eastern Connecticut tied up the game and saw one last pitching change for Worcester as senior Sarah Gosselin (Charlton, MA) took the mound to wrap up the action for Worcester. She would work the team out the 6th and seventh to put the chance for a seventh inning walk off in the batter's hands. 

A Keefe double would put a winning run on second, and first year Laurel Field (Holden, MA) was called in to pinch run for the chance at victory, and did not disappoint as Koziol sent a line drive to centerfield that quickly found Field crossing home before any attempt could threaten for Worcester to claim their second win on not only the day but the season. 

What's Next:

 The Blue and Gold (2-1, 0-0) are back in action tomorrow as they take on Rutgers-Camden and Juniata with the first game set for a 9:45am start.