Softball Collects First Conference Win With Split at Gordon

WENHAM, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology split a pair of Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) games with Gordon College on Friday afternoon. The Leopards, who earned their first win against Gordon since 2009, shift to 8-15 overall and 1-7 in the CCC, while Gordon moves to 7-18 this season and 3-9 against league opponents.

GAME ONE – Wentworth: 3 Gordon: 2

Neither team plated a run until the bottom of the third, when Gordon senior Emily Kline (Park Ridge, N.J.) singled to center field, scoring classmate Sarah Ryder (Telford, Pa.) for the 1-0 lead. The Leopards responded in their next chance at the plate, as junior Emily Winter (Stratford, Conn.) cracked a leadoff single, and raced to second on a stolen base. A groundout from junior Caroline Shea (Abington, Mass.) shifted Winter to scoring position, before Willcutt grounded out to the pitcher, driving a speedy Winter home tie the game 1-1.

Gordon freshman Lily Rivera (Concord, N.H.) kicked off the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double to left center, before a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Kali Denty (Marshfield, Mass.) pushed her to third. Classmate Karissa Hatchell (Eaton, Colo.) stepped up to bat with two outs, after WIT freshman Kayla DeMedeiros (South Dartmouth, Mass.) struck out Ryder, and swung into an RBI single for the 2-1 lead.

Down 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Wentworth senior Rachel Willcutt (Tilton, N.H.) singled to center field to tie the game 2-2, before sophomore Deanna DiPilato (Worcester, Mass.) drove home the winning run on a base knock up the middle.

Six Leopards recorded a hit in the win, including freshman Brionna Myers (Seabrook, N.H.), senior Vanessa Weymouth (Fremont, N.H.), Winter, Willcutt, and DiPilato.

DeMedeiros struck out five batters in a complete game, allowing two earned runs across nine hits. Caitlin Catalanotto (Kingston, N.H.) suffered the loss on the hill for Gordon with three earned runs, six hits, and one walk, while fanning six in the effort.

GAME TWO – Gordon: 10 Wentworth: 2 (Five Innings)

Hot hitting from the Fighting Scots retired the Leopards in five innings, as the hosts registered 12 hits overall, including four multi-base performances, and a homer from Kline and freshman Arianna Ramsaran (Johnson City, Tenn.) in the fourth.

The Leopards carried momentum from game one to start the nightcap, as Willcutt stepped up to bat with Shea and Winter on first and second. Willcutt swung into an infield single, juicing the bases for DiPilato with just one down, who worked a walk for an early 1-0 lead. DeMedeiros belted a deep single to left, advancing all runners and giving Wentworth a 2-0 lead.

The Fighting Scots scored four runs in the bottom of the first – all with two outs down – ignited by a bases-clearing double from junior Rose Shannon (Ashland, Mass.).  Ramsaran gave Gordon a run of insurance with another double to left, scoring Shannon on the play for the 4-2 lead after one.

Gordon tacked on six more runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Leopards, highlighted by two dingers from Kline and Ramsaran.

DePilato and DeMedeiros led the Leopards with an RBI single apiece, while Willcutt, Shea, and senior Megan Berryman (Middleboro, Mass.) recorded a hit in the effort.

DeMedeiros tossed 3.1 innings, and scattered eight hits and seven runs (six earned), while striking out three. Myers pitched 0.2 innings of relief and allowed three runs across.

Gordon freshman Jasmine Mullally (Waterford, N.Y.) pitched the complete game for the Fighting Scots, allowing five hits and two earned runs, with four K's.

Wentworth resumes conference action tomorrow at Western New England for a 12:00 p.m. start.

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