Winter Blasts First Collegiate Home Run to Power Softball over Dean 14-3

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Emily Winter (Stratford, Conn.) smacked her first collegiate homer and went 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBI's to lead the Wentworth women's softball team over Dean College 14-3 on Tuesday afternoon. The Leopards downed the Bulldogs in five innings, and win their third straight to improve to 5-12 overall, while the Bulldogs drop to 3-12 this season.

Wentworth registered 13 hits in the victory – its fourth straight game with double digit hitting – and saw three players power into multi-base hits via freshman Brionna Myers (Seabrook, N.H.), sophomore Deanna DiPilato (Worcester, Mass.), and junior Caroline Shea (Abington, Mass.).

The Bulldogs broke open the scoring with lead-off batter Alexis Portales (San Antonio, Texas), who worked a walk and stole second before sophomore Melanie Rios-Nevarez (Vega Alta, P.R.) doubled down the right field line. Portales raced home for the 1-0 score on the play, before Nevarez gave the visitors the 2-0 lead.

Myers roped a double to center field to ignite the Leopard offense before Winter swung into her first hit of the game, scoring Myers on the play. Senior Rachel Willcutt (Tilton, N.H.) moved Winter to third on a sacrifice fly to right, before freshman Kayla DeMedeiros (So. Dartmouth, Mass.) hit a bloop to center to score Winter for the 2-2 equalizer.

DeMedeiros pitched a no-hit second inning, before Wentworth exploded for eight runs. Shea started the surge with a double to left, and reached third on a groundout from Kelsey Gorski (Killingworth, Conn.). Senior Vanessa Weymouth (Fremont, N.H.) cracked a single to center, scoring Shea, before Myers got up and hit her second straight double for runners on second and third with Winter at bat. Winter continued her strong performance at the plate and swung into a two-RBI single, as the Leopards took a 5-2 lead with one out down. Wentworth tacked on four more runs to end the inning, including RBI's from senior Megan Berryman (Middleboro, Mass.) and Shea.

Dean got a run back in the top of the third, as Rios-Nevarez singled up the middle to score Portales, who reached first on a single of her own. The Bulldogs then went down in order before Winter's solo shot to center gave the Leopards an 11-3 lead. Willcutt and DeMedeiros sealed the deal for the home team, as Willcutt cracked a two-RBI single before DeMedeiros drove Winter home for the 14-3 score.

DeMedeiros would not allow a hit in the Bulldogs' final chance at bat, and ended on a phenomenal chuck from the right fielder Gorski to catch freshman Olivia Cassidy (Concord, Mass.) out at first.

DeMedeiros earned the win on the hill for Wentworth, and struck out eight batters with just three earned runs. Sophomore Karissa Menzinger (Centereach, N.Y.) suffered the loss for Dean in 3.0 innings pitched, and scattered ten hits with seven earned runs, while striking out two. Cassidy tossed 1.0 innings of relief, and allowed three hits and two earned runs.

Wentworth returns to Sweeney Field on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. for a non-conference tilt with Pine Manor.

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