Softball Sweeps Doubleheader Against Nichols to Win Third and Fourth Straight

DUDLEY, Mass –The Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team extended their winning streak to four games Saturday, April 9, defeating Nichols College in both games of a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader. The Leopards won game one 12-2, then took the second game by a 5-4 score.

GAME ONE: Wentworth 12, Nichols 2

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Aurora Wilks (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2R), Kaitlin Pettenger (3-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1R)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Erin Hancock ((W, 6-3), 5 IP, 2 ER, 6H, 3K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After having two out and nobody one to start the game, the Leopards took the lead in the top of the first. Senior Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.) got things started with a double, then came around to score on an RBI single to left field by senior Aurora Wilks (Fruitport, Mich.), as Wentworth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
• The Bison got it right back in their half of the inning, as with one out, Kamryn Gurnee-Mims (Griswold, Conn.) homered to left-center, tying the game at one. Nichols then put two runners on with two out, but junior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass) picked up a key strikeout to keep it tied going into the second.
• The Leopards exploded for six runs in the top of the second, opening up a 7-1 lead. Hancock picked up a one-out single, then junior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) drove her home with an RBI double to center. Senior Briana Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) then added an RBI single to right, making it a 3-1 lead. Pina then hit her second double of the day, putting Beverly on third. Both runners then came in as a wild pitch brought Beverly in, then a throwing error on the same play allowed Pina to come home. Wilks then walked and reached second on another wild pitch, and a fielding error put runners on the corners. Graduate student Kayla DeMedeiros (South Dartmouth, Mass.) brought Wilks home with an RBI single to left-center, making it 6-1. After a pitching change, freshman Jess Rowe (Yardley, Pa.) brought in the sixth run of the inning with an RBI hit to center, as senior Ceilidh Higgins (Medway, Mass.) came in to score, making it a 7-1 score.
• The Bison got one back in the second, as after a hit-by-pitch and one-out single, an RBI hit from Samantha Kostek (Oxford, Conn.) made it a 7-2 game. But Hancock set down the next two batters, limiting the damage to one run. Howe and Pettenger led off the third inning with back-to-back singles, but Wentworth was unable to get anything going after that, as the next three batters went down in order in the top of the third.
• Nichols went down 1-2-3 in their half of the third, and the Leopards went on to add two more in the top half of the fourth. Three straight singles by DeMedeiros, Rowe, and Hancock loaded the bases with one out. Pettenger then drove in two more with a double to left-center, extending the lead to 9-2.
• After the Bison again went down in order in the fourth, Wilks pushed the lead up to eight runs with a solo shot to right-center field. After Higgins walked with one out, DeMedeiros doubled and Higgins came in to score following a throwing error. A sac fly from Rowe made it a 10-2 score going to the home half of the fifth, where after two singles to lead things off, Hancock set down the next three batters to finish off game one with a 10-2 victory for the Leopards.

GAME TWO: Wentworth 5, Nichols 4

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Aurora Wilks (2-for-3, HR, 1 RBI, 2R), Alexandra Pina (2-for-4, 1 2B)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Kayla DeMedeiros ((W, 6-3), 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1K)

• An error and hit put two runners on for the Leopards in the top of the first, Wilks singled to load the bases with one out. An infield single from Higgins brought in Beverly to make it 1-0, but Wentworth couldn't add to the lead as a fielder's choice and groundout ended the inning.
• The Bison went down in order in their half of the first, and the visitors then added to their lead in the second. With two out and nobody on, Pettenger doubled to right-center to reach scoring position. Beverly then followed with a double of her own, scoring Pettenger and extending the lead to 2-0.
• After an error and a walk put two runners on with one out in the last of the second, but Rowe got an infield fly and groundout to keep Nichols off the board.
• Wilks led off the third, and hit her second home run of the day to give the Leopards a 3-0 lead. Wentworth went down in order after that, and the Bison got on the board in the latter half of the inning. Kostek led off the inning with a walk and stole second, then after a single advanced her to third, came in to score on a wild pitch. DeMedeiros then came in to pitch, and after a walk, Gurnee-Mims tied the game with a two-run double to left-center. Erin Gour (Westfield, Mass.) then singled down the right field line to bring in the go-ahead run, as Nichols took a 4-3 lead going into the fourth.
• Howe got Wentworth started in the fourth inning with a single, then advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. Another wild pitch brought her in to score the tying run, followed by a walk from Pettenger. But she was stranded on the bases, leaving the game tied at 4-4 going to the bottom of the fourth.
• Both teams went down 1-2-3 in their next turns at-bat, and despite a single by the Bison with one out in the fifth, DeMedeiros set down the next two batters to end their scoring opportunity.
• The Leopards threatened in the top of the sixth, as a walk and two wild pitches put junior Julia Hutchinson (North Billerica, Mass.) on third with one out. But Pettenger hit a line drive that was pulled in by the pitcher, who then doubled off Hutchinson at third to get out of the inning.
• DeMedeiros put Nichols down in order in the sixth, and Pina doubled and advanced to third with one out in the top of the seventh. She was thrown out on a play at the plate to keep the game tied, but with runners on first and second with two out, DeMedeiros came through at the plate, connecting on an RBI single to right field to drive in the go-ahead run as Wentworth took a 5-4 lead. She then took to the mound in the bottom of the seventh, and again picked up another 1-2-3 inning to preserve the 5-4 victory for the Leopards, who swept both games of the doubleheader.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• The two teams met for the 44^th and 45^th times Saturday, with Nichols now holding a 33-12 lead in the series.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards return to the field Tuesday, April 12, when they host Fisher College in non-conference action at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

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