BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Bridget Souza (Medford, Mass.) went a combined 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, and four RBI while senior Caylee Johanson (Windsor, Conn.) hurled a pair of complete-game victories as Wentworth swept Castleton, 2-1 and 5,4, in a non-conference doubleheader played at Carr Diamond.
The visiting Spartans took a 1-0 lead to open the first game when freshman Mercedes Maltbie (Warrensburg, N.Y.), who drew a one-out walk, scored on an RBI single off the bat of sophomore Shannon Jipner (Bristol, Vt.). That lead would stay until the home half of the fourth inning when junior Lizz Harvey (McConnellsburg, Pa.) and Souza hit back-to-back home runs to give the Leopards a 2-1 lead.
Castleton had the tying run on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Johanson, who set 15 batters down in a row during one point, induced a fly out to left to end each of the innings.
Harvey was the only Leopard with multiple hits, as she went 2-for-3. Johanson (3-5) allowed one run on two hits, while walking three and striking out eight. For the Spartans, Jipner and junior Sarah Fiore (Springfield, Vt.) recorded hits while senior Hilary Bemis (Crown Point, N.Y.) allowed a pair of runs on six hits while striking out five.
Wentworth took an early, 1-0 lead in the nightcap on an RBI double from Souza that plated freshman Krysta Cunha (New Bedford, Mass.), who had led off the inning with a double. The Spartans responded with three in the top of the second, keyed by a two run, ground-rule double from Maltbie.
Castleton held the lead until the Leopards struck for four in the bottom of the fifth inning. Harvey delivered an RBI single to left, which was followed by an RBI single from Souza. A fielding error on Souza's hit allowed Harvey to score the go ahead run and Souza came around to score on a double from Johanson.
The Spartans got a pinch-hit, RBI single from freshman Caitlin Briggs (Germantown, N.Y.) to come within 5-4 with zero outs in the top of the seventh. Wentworth would prevent the tying run from scoring with a rundown play with one out, and after a two-out error, would be aided by the potential tying run slipping while rounding third and getting caught in a rundown to end the game.
Souza was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI while Cunha, Johanson, and senior Nicole Ferreira (Framingham, Mass.) each had a pair of hits. Johanson improved to 4-5 as she allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out three. Maltbie and Flore each had two hits for Castleton, with Maltbie driving in two runs. Freshman Emily Sweeney (Weare, N.H.) took the loss, allowing five runs on 10 hits and striking out four.
With the wins Wentworth improves to 5-6 on the year and hosts Eastern Nazarene on Tuesday to open The Commonwealth Coast Conference play. Castleton falls to 0-7 and hosts Skidmore in a non-conference twinbill on Wednesday.
