BOSTON, Mass. – For the first time in program history, the Wentworth softball team split with the Western New England University Golden Bears in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Monday afternoon at Carr Diamond.
The Leopards move to 8-11 this season and 2-4 against league opponents, while the Golden Bears shift to 9-7 overall and open CCC play at 1-1.
Game One – Wentworth 7, Western New England 6
The Leopards earned a historic win against the Golden Bears, which marked their first victory in a 23-game series with WNE, dating back to 2003. The Leopards worked a 2-0 lead after two innings down, starting with a deep triple from freshman Katie Verreault (Scarborough, Maine), who crossed home on an Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.) groundout. Classmate Isabelle Frank (Dix Hills, N.Y.) cracked a single to right, scoring sophomore Brionna Myers (Seabrook, N.H.) for the early 2-0 score.
Western New England switched gears in the third inning, and scored four runs on three hits to steal a 4-2 lead. Freshman Jamie Cookingham (Warner, N.H.) worked a bases-loaded walk, before junior Carlie Moss (Delmar, N.Y.) belted a two-out, two-RBI double to right field. Junior Paige Uliase (Meriden, Conn.) gave the Golden Bears the go-ahead run with a groundout to short.
Errors plagued the Golden Bears in the bottom of the inning, as WNE allowed five runs to cross with three hits and three miscues. Sophomore Kayla DeMedeiros (South Dartmouth, Mass.) drove in two runners, deadlocking the score 4-4, before junior Deanna DiPilato (Worcester, Mass.) capitalized on a drop fly ball from the outfield in what would have been the third out, scoring DeMedeiros on the play. Frank later reached base on a bobble by WNE's center fielder, scoring DePilato for the 7-4 advantage. WNE got two back in the fourth on an RBI apiece from freshman Dina DiBlasio (Norwalk, Conn.) and Cookingham. However, that's as close as WNE would get as DeMedeiros struck out five batters and allowed just one hit across the final three innings to secure the win.
Myers and Verreault each went 2-for-2, while DeMedeiros drove in a pair of RBI's. Pina, DiPiato, Frank, and freshman Brianna Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) each recorded a hit for Wentworth, while Beverley joined Verreault in extra-base hitting.
DiBlasio and Moss each belted a double for the Golden Bears, while Moss and Cookingham drove home two runs apiece in the effort.
DeMedeiros struck out a total of seven batters in the victory inside the circle while allowing eight hits, six earned runs, and five walks. Uliase suffered her fifth loss of the season for the Golden Bears with just one earned run, five strikeouts, and eight hits.
Game Two – Western New England 7, Wentworth 1
The Golden Bears matched their eight hits from the earlier contest, led by a double apiece from junior Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) and Cookingham. With two outs down, Cookingham doubled to center field on a ground-rule, scoring sophomore Emily Cooney (Berlin, Conn.) for an early 1-0 lead. WNE added three more runs before Wentworth was able to get one back in the bottom of the fifth on a Verreault double to left. Again with two outs down, Western New England piled on three more runs in the seventh, before Kistner retired the Leopards in order.
Kistner earned the win with 10 strikeouts, which ties her season high, while allowing just one earned run to cross. Freshman Aurora Wilks (Fruitport, Mich.) suffered the loss for Wentworth.
Wentworth resumes conference action on Saturday with a doubleheader at Roger Williams.
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