Leopards Split First Two Games of CCC Tournament With Suffolk and Endicott

BEVERLY, Mass. –The Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team won its first postseason game since 2005 Thursday, May 5, first defeating Suffolk University 3-2, but falling 7-1 to Endicott College in their second game of the afternoon.

GAME ONE: Wentworth 3, Suffolk 2

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Erin Hancock (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, 1R), Kaitlin Pettenger (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 1R)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Erin Hancock ((W, 8-7) 7 IP, 0 ER, 5H, 6K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Neither team had much going offensively in the opening inning, as the Leopards went down in order and the Rams only got a runner to first, bringing the game to the second with no score.
• After Wentworth got their first baserunner on with a walk in the second, the next batter was set down as Suffolk's Jenny Jacob (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) again didn't allow a hit.
• Junior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass.) recorded her 100^th strikeout of the season in the second inning, but the Rams were able to break through on the scoreboard in the inning. After an error, Ira Boci (Fairfield, Conn.) put Suffolk ahead with a two-out homer to centerfield to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.
• A leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out in the top of the third, but again Wentworth couldn't get a run across as the next two batters were retired.
• Hancock ran into trouble in the third, as a double and single with one out put runners on second and third. But the junior denied Suffolk from adding another run, picking up a groundout and strikeout to get out of the inning.
• The Leopards went down 1-2-3 in the fourth, and despite a leadoff double for the Rams in the bottom half of the inning, Hancock set down the next three in order to keep it a 2-0 game.
• Wentworth finally came through on the scoreboard in the fifth, scoring three runs to take the lead. After an error put a runner on first, Hancock ripped an RBI double down the left field line to get the Leopards within a run. After two strikeouts from Jacob, junior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) stepped out and delivered an RBI double of her own, tying the game at two with a big two-out hit. After freshman Katelin Howe (Bow, N.H.) singled to keep the inning going, senior Briana Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) picked up Pettenger from third with an RBI single to right-center, giving the Leopards a 3-2 lead.
• Hancock took over from that point on, putting the Rams down in order in the fifth. Wentworth picked up a one-out single from senior Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.) in the sixth, but couldn't add another run to extend their lead.
• After another 1-2-3 inning from Hancock in the sixth, the Leopards got a leadoff single by freshman Jess Rowe (Yardley, Pa.) in the seventh, but the next three batters were set down, bringing the game to the bottom of the seventh.
• Hancock came up big once again, recording three groundouts to hold the lead for the Leopards, who won by a 3-2 final. Hancock retired the last 12 batters she faced, as Wentworth won in its first postseason game since 2003 and advanced to play Endicott in their second game.

GAME TWO: Endicott 7, Wentworth 1

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Jess Rowe (1-for-2, 2B, RBI)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Kayla DeMedeiros ((L, 8-8), 4 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After three flyouts for the Leopards in the top of the first, the Gulls jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second. With two out and a runner on second, Chrissy Marotto (Southington, Conn.) picked up an RBI single and advanced to third on an error, followed by an infield single from Lauren Misiaszek (Londonderry, N.H.) to bring in the second run.
• Both teams went down in order in the second, but the Leopards came back with a run in the third to cut into the Endicott lead. Graduate student Kayla DeMedeiros (South Dartmouth, Mass.) reached on an error, then came around to score as Rowe connected on an RBI double to left-center, making it a 2-1 game. However, Rowe was stranded on second, as the next two batters were set down.
• The Gulls got the run back in the bottom of the third, however, as a walk and sac bunt put a runner on second. Then with two out, Marotto singled up the middle to extend the lead to 3-1. However, another runner tried to score to make it 4-1, but the Leopards cut her down at the plate to end the inning.
• Wentworth went down 1-2-3 in the fifth, and Endicott continued to add to their lead in the bottom of the inning. After the first batter was retired, three straight Gulls reached safely, loading the bases with one out. Chloe Shapleigh (Lynnfield, Mass.) then hit a sac fly to make it 4-1, followed by a two-out, two-run double from Keelin Spencer (San Jose, Calif.) to extend the Endicott lead to 6-1 heading to the fifth.
• The Leopards again couldn't put anything together offensively in the fifth, but held the Gulls off the scoreboard in their half despite Endicott picked up back-to-back singles.
• Pettenger picked up a one-out hit for Wentworth in the top of the sixth, as the Leopards looked to climb back into the game. But Jaylin Couto (Taunton, Mass.), who went the distance for Endicott, set down the next two batters to get out of the inning.
• The home team picked up one more run in the bottom of the sixth, as Katie Watts (Swampscott, Mass.) hit a sac fly with one out to make it a 7-1 score. Wentworth was set down 1-2-3 in the seventh, finishing the game a 7-1 final.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• The Leopards now hold a 3-17 record against Suffolk following their game one victory, and are 0-44-1 all-time against Endicott.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards will face the winner of Suffolk-Roger Williams Friday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m., with the winner advancing to play Endicott tomorrow.

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