Pina Has Career Day, But Leopards Drop Pair to Western New England

BOSTON, Mass –Senior Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.) set new career-highs with four hits and three extra base hits in game one, but the Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team was defeated in both games of their home doubleheader against Western New England University, falling 6-2 in game one, then dropping a 10-2 decision in the second game.

GAME ONE: Western New England 6, Wentworth 2

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders:  Alexandra Pina (4-for-4, 3 2B, 2 RBI), Briana Beverly (3-for-4, 2B, 1R)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Erin Hancock ((L, 4-3), 5 IP, 4 ER, 5H, 2K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After setting the Golden Bears down in order in the top of the first, the Leopards jumped in front in their half of the opening inning. Seniors Briana Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) and Pina connected on back-to-back doubles, with Pina's driving in the first run of the game to give Wentworth a 1-0 lead.
• Western New England got it back and went on to take the lead in the second. After the first two batters got on with a single and walk, a sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third with one out. After a strikeout by junior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass.) for the second out, an error allowed the two runners on to come home and put the Golden Bears ahead 2-1.
• Both pitchers settled in after that, as no batters reached base in their next two turns at bat. Both Hancock and Ava Blanchard (New Hartford, Conn.) retired six consecutive batters, with the next hit coming in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Pina. The senior picked up the second of her three doubles, but was stranded on the bases as Blanchard retired the next three batters to send the game to the fifth with the visitors still holding a 2-1 lead. A sacrifice fly brought in the second run of the inning, followed by a two-run, two-out single by Kailey Carrano (West Haven, Conn.) to make it a 6-1 game.
• Wentworth got a two-out runner with a walk, but weren't able to break through in the bottom of the fifth. The Golden Bears had two on and one out in the sixth, but the Leopards turned a double play to get out of the inning.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Beverly and Pina led off the inning with two singles, followed by a one-out single from senior Ceilidh Higgins (Medway, Mass.) to load the bases, putting the Leopards in position to get back into the game. But Blanchard came back with back-to-back strikeouts, leaving three runners on and keeping the score intact going into the seventh.
• After a leadoff double for Western New England in the seventh, the next three batters went down in order. In Wentworth's last chance of the day, the first two batters were set down, but after a pair of two-out singles, Pina hit her third double of the day, driving in the Leopards' second run. But that was all Wentworth could pick up in the final inning, dropping the first game of the day by a 6-2 final.

GAME TWO: Western New England 10, Wentworth 2

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Alexandra Pina (2-for-4, 1 2B, 1R), Kaitlin Pettenger (2-for-3)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Kayla DeMedeiros ((L, 4-3), 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2K)

• The pitchers were in command to start game two, as both teams were set down in order in the opening inning. The Golden Bears got two runners on with one out in the second, but graduate student Kayla DeMedeiros (South Dartmouth, Mass.) recorded a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning.
• The Leopards threatened in the bottom of the second, putting a runner on second with one out, but Western New England's Megan Beebe (Ellington, Conn.), who went the distance in the game, set down the next to batters to keep the game scoreless going into the third.
• After both teams went down quietly in the third, the visitors picked up a leadoff double to start the top of the fourth. But again DeMedeiros worked her way around the scoring threat and retired the next three batters.
• The Leopards then took the lead in the last of the fourth, starting with a single by Pina. Senior Aurora Wilks (Fruitport, Mich.) then ripped a double to left-center, bringing Pina around to score the first run of the game. DeMedeiros then reached on an error, as Wilks came around to score to give Wentworth a two-run advantage going into the fifth.
• Western New England came right back to take the lead in their next turn at bat. Three straight one-out singles, the last coming from Taylor Keegan (Bristol, Conn.), brought home the Golden Bears' first run, followed by a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. A sacrifice fly tied the game at two, and an error allowed the go-ahead run to score to make it a 3-2 lead for the visitors.
• Junior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) got aboard with a one-out single, and Pina later connected on a double to right-center to put two runners in scoring position with two out. However, Beebe was able to shut the door and keep the Leopards from tying the game in the fifth.
• The first two batters reached base for Western New England in the sixth, eventually getting to second and third with one out. A sac fly from Maggie Marquardt (Enfield, Conn.) gave the Golden Bears a 4-2 lead after their half of the fifth. After Wentworth got the leadoff batter on in the home half of the sixth, the next three batters went down in order to keep it a two run game going into the final inning.
• After the first two batters were retired in the seventh, Western New England went on a tear offensively, putting six runs on the board to make it a 10-2 game. After a hit-by-pitch and a single, an error brought home one run. A walk loaded the bases, and two more errors by the Leopards brought in four more Golden Bear runs. Keegan then picked up an RBI double, marking the sixth run in the inning. Wentworth couldn't match it in the bottom of the seventh, as the Leopards dropped the second game of the doubleheader 10-2.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• These were the 26^th and 27^th all-time meetings between the two programs, with Western New England now leading the series 26-1.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards host a home doubleheader Friday, April 8, against conference opponent Gordon College. Game times are set for 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

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