Softball Splits Two at Roger Williams

BRISTOL, R.I. –The Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team split a doubleheader at Roger Williams University Saturday, April 24. The Hawks took game one 6-2, followed by a 7-3 Leopard victory in the latter game.

GAME ONE: Roger Williams 6, Wentworth 2

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Briana Beverly (2-for-3, 1 HR, RBI, 1R, Jess Rowe 2-for-2, 2B, RBI)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Erin Hancock ((L, 7-5), 5.1 IP, 6 ER, 10H, 2K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Leopards got two runners on in the top of the first, and both reached scoring position with two out. But Wentworth couldn't cash in, stranding a pair in the opening inning. Junior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass.) set the first two Hawks batters down before allowing a single, but recorded a flyout to end the first.
• Senior Ceilidh Higgins (Medway, Mass.) led off the second with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Roger Williams pitcher Lia Nocella (Tyngsboro, Mass.) worked around it and set the Leopards aside in the second with no runs allowed. The Hawks led off their half of the second with a hit as well, but Hancock set down the next three batters to bring the game to the third still scoreless.
• Wentworth again had multiple runners on in the third, as junior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) and senior Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.) both picked up singles in the inning. Nocella again worked out of trouble, recording a groundout to end the scoring threat. Roger William broke though in the bottom of the inning though. A leadoff single and fielder's choice put a runner on second with one out. Then Sydney Provencal (Cumberland, R.I.) singled up the middle to bring in the first run of the day, as the home team took a 1-0 lead after three.
• Wentworth got it back in the fourth, rallying with two out and nobody on. Hancock singled and advanced to second on an error, then came around to score on a two-out RBI double by freshman Jess Rowe (Yardley, Pa.) that tied the game at one.
• The home team jumped back in front in their half of the fourth, rallying for three runs. After a walk and single to start the inning, Alexandra Lombardo (Thomaston, Conn.) doubled to left to bring in a run, then with two out, Casey Uryga (Berlin, Conn.) connected on a two-run double to extend the lead to 4-1.
• Senior Briana Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) and graduate student Kayla DeMediros (South Dartmouth, Mass.) added singles in the fifth as the Leopards looked to close the gap, but a lineout ended the inning as Wentworth stranded a pair. After the Hawks were set aside in the fifth, Rowe picked up her second hit of the day in the top of the sixth, but again Nocella worked around the baserunners and set down the next two batters to get out of the inning.
• Roger Williams added two more runs in the sixth, starting with a double by Lombardo. After a single brought her in to score, Provencal added her second RBI single of the day with two out to make it a four-run lead heading to the final inning.
• Beverly led off the seventh for the Leopards, and facing a 1-2 count, blasted the following pitch over the left field wall for her third home run of the year. But that was all the offense the Leopards would come up with in the inning, as the Hawks took a 6-2 victory in the first game of the day.

GAME TWO: Wentworth 7, Roger Williams 3

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Kaitlin Pettenger (2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2R), Alexandra Pina (1-for-4, B, RBI)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Kayla DeMedeiros ((W, 8-4), 7 IP, 1 ER, 8 H, 2K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Leopards jumped out to a lead in the first inning of game two. Pettenger reached base then came around to score two batters later, as Pina doubled to right-center to bring her in. Pina later stole third and came around to score on a two-out single by DeMedeiros to give Wentworth a 2-0 lead.
• Two batters reached for Roger Williams in the bottom of the first, but DeMedeiros got the last two batters on a groundout and strikeout to strand two. The visitors kept the offense rolling in the second, adding three more runs to their total to take a 5-0 lead. After an error and a walk, Pettenger stepped to the plate and doubled in two runs. Beverly then brought Pettenger around with an RBI single to extend the lead to five.
• DeMedeiros set the Hawks down in order in the second, and Wentworth went right back to work in the third. Higgins got things started with a double to right-center, then an RBI single by freshman Katelin Howe (Bow, N.H.) brought her around to score. Pettenger followed up by collecting her second extra-base hit of the day, shooting an RBI triple to left-center to make it a 7-0 lead for the Leopards.
• Roger Williams got one back in the bottom half of the third, as with two on and one out, an error brought in the first run for the home team. DeMedeiros was able to limit the damage to one run, getting the last two batters to ground out and pop up.
• The Leopards were set down 1-2-3 in the fourth, and the Hawks were able to add one more in their turn at bat. After a leadoff double to start the inning, Jax Beaulieu (Sandwich, Mass.) knocked in a run with an RBI single, but again DeMedeiros surrendered just the one run, as Wentworth led 7-2 after four.
• The visitors picked up a one out single by Rowe in the fifth but couldn't bring her home, and Roger Williams was again able to push one more run across. A pair of errors put two runners on with one out, and Madison Tobin (Pittsfield, Mass.) delivered an RBI double with two out in the inning to make it a 7-3 game. A groundout followed to end the fifth with the Leopards now holding a four-run lead.
• Wentworth went down in order in the sixth, and the Hawks picked up a one-out single looking to get back in the game. But the Leopards were able to turn a double play, as DeMedeiros got a ground ball to get Wentworth out of the inning.
• Roger Williams led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles but couldn't advance the runners any further. A pair of fielder's choices and a groundout closed things out in game two as the Leopards split the doubleheader with the Hawks, picking up a 7-3 win in the game two.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• These were the 53^rd and 54^th times the teams have met. Roger Williams now holds a 47-7 advantage in the series.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth closes out the road portion of the 2022 schedule Saturday, April 30, as the Leopards travel to the University of New England for a doubleheader scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

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