BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – Senior Kelsey Gorski (Killingworth, Conn.) and sophomore Libby White (Pittsfield, Mass.) each had five hits on the day as the Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Massachusetts Maritime. The Leopards took the first game, 16-6, before the Buccaneers picked up the split with a 9-6 win in the nightcap
GAME ONE: Wentworth 16, Mass. Maritime 6
The Leopards notched season highs in runs and hits (17) to pick up their second win in the last three games. Wentworth took a 3-2 lead in the top of the first, thanks to Gorski and Berryman driving in runs when they reached on fielder's choices and Rutkey driving in a run with a single. The Leopards had a chance to add to their lead however left the bases loaded.
Mass. Maritime took advantage of a pair of Wentworth errors in the bottom of the inning and made it a 3-2 game with freshman Melissa Cochrane (Walpole, Mass.) and junior Carli Thomas (Brewster, Mass.) scoring.
Wentworth scored four times in the top of the second as Gorski, junior Megan Berryman (Middleboro, Mass.), freshman Deanna DiPilato (Worcester, Mass.), and White each had RBI singles. In the bottom of the third inning Mass. Maritime scored twice to make it 7-4 on RBI singles from junior Sarah Monteiro (North Falmouth, Mass.) and freshman Jenna Nalette (Goffstown, N.H.).
An inning later the Leopards got those two runs back when Berryman scored after Rutkey reached on an error and sophomore Emily Winter (Stratford, Conn.) had an RBI single. The Buccaneers scored a single run in the bottom of the fourth when freshman Jill Corrazini (Paxton, Mass.) scored after Thomas reached on an error to make it 7-5.
The Leopards scored seven times over the next two innings to put the game out of reach. In a two-run fifth, Berryman drove in a run when she reached on a fielder's choice and Gorski scored on a wild pitch. An inning later, three Buccaneer errors helped lead to five runs with junior Rachel Willcutt driving in a pair of runs with a single and Gorski delivering an RBI single. An RBI double from Thomas in the home half of the inning rounded out the scoring.
Sophomore Hayley Rutkey (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) picked up her first win of the season as she allowed just one earned run and scattered 10 hits. Gorski was 4-for-5 with three RBI, White was 3-for-4 with an RBI, freshman Rebecca Wehrle (South Amboy, N.J.), Willcutt, and DiPilato had two hits apiece. Berryman drove in three runs.
Nalette was saddled with the loss while Cochrane and Thomas had two hits apiece.
GAME TWO: Mass. Maritime 9, Wentworth 6
The two teams traded runs in the second inning with the Leopards getting a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Wehrle to score Rutkey in the top of the inning and Monteiro delivering an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.
Wentworth took a 5-1 lead in the top of the third as DiPilato and Rutkey had RBI singles and Winter had an RBI double before White scored on an error. However, Mass. Maritime scored six runs – with two coming on a double from Thomas – to take a 7-5 lead.
The Leopards pulled within a run at 7-6 in the top of the sixth as junior Vanessa Weymouth (Fremont, N.H.) singled and stole second. With two outs Berryman reached on an error which allowed Weymouth to score.
Mass. Maritime scored a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning as Corazzini had an RBI triple and then scored when Cochrane reached on an error.
Cochrane picked up the win for the Buccaneers and was also one of three players to have two hits in the game.
Rutkey suffered the loss, pitching two-plus innings. Sophomore Erica Norquist (Tutland, Mass.) pitched the final four innings. Rutkey was 3-for-4 while Weymouth, Willcutt, White, and Winter had two hits apiece.
Wentworth (2-19) heads to the University of New England on Thursday. The Leopards and Nor'Easters will resume a game halted by weather in the second inning and will then play a second game following.
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