Historic Season Comes to an End for Softball in Third Round of CCC Tournament

BEVERLY, Mass. –The Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team ended its season Friday, May 6, dropping an 11-inning matchup with Roger Williams University by a score of 7-4 in the third round of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament.

Roger Williams 7, Wentworth 3

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Wentworth Batting Leaders: Erin Hancock (3-for-6, RBI, 1R), Kaitlin Pettenger (2-for-5, RBI)
Wentworth Pitching Leaders: Erin Hancock ((L, 8-7) 10 IP, 2 ER, 6H, 4K)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After Roger Williams went down in order in the first, Wentworth had a chance to take the lead after a pair of singles from junior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) and senior Aurora Wilks (Fruitport, Mich.). But with runners on the corners and two out, Hawks pitcher Lia Nocella (Tyngsboro, Mass.) got a groundout to end the inning.
• Junior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass.) again didn't allow a hit in the second, and the Leopards loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning following singles from Hancock and Pettenger, and a walk by freshman Jess Rowe (Yardley, Pa.). But Nocella again worked out of trouble, getting a flyout as Wentworth stranded three in the second.
• After a 1-2-3 third for Hancock, another single by Wilks got Wentworth going in the third, but despite having two runners on with two out, the Leopards couldn't plate the first run of the game, bringing it to the fourth still scoreless.
• Roger Williams picked up their first hit in the top of the fourth, but with one out and a runner on first, Hancock got a ground ball that the Leopards were able to turn a double play on, ending the inning. The Leopards went down in order in the fourth, as Nocella got through the inning without a blemish.
• The Hawks were the first team to break through on the scoreboard, scoring twice in the top of the fifth. Following a leadoff single, Jamie Wells (Castle Rock, Colo.) tripled down the right field line to bring in the first run, then came in to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Alexandra Lombardo (Thomaston, Conn.) to make it 2-0.
• Wentworth was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning, and Roger Williams added on in the sixth. The Hawks picked up another leadoff single, then Taylor Howell (Sandwich, Mass.) doubled to left, bringing in another run for Roger Williams, who went ahead 3-0 going to the bottom of the sixth.
• The Leopards were able to narrow the deficit to one run in the sixth, scoring twice in the inning. After a single and walk with one out, Rowe came to the plate and ripped a double to right-center field, giving Wentworth its first run of the day. Then with two out and runners on second and third, a wild pitch brought in another run as Wentworth trailed 3-2 going into the seventh.
• A walk and single started the seventh inning for Roger Williams, and Jax Beaulieu (Sandwich, Mass.) singled up the middle, giving the Hawks an insurance run and 4-2 lead. After Roger Williams loaded the bases with nobody out and had a chance to break it open, Hancock came back in to pitch. The junior came up big, recording a strikeout and fielder's choice for the first two outs, then getting a lineout to end the inning, stranding all three runners and keeping Wentworth in the game.
• With one out and nobody on, senior Ceilidh Higgins (Medway, Mass.) walked, followed by a single from senior Sebrina Haarstick (Bellingham, Mass.). Hancock then stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI single up the middle, making it a one-run game at 4-3. A walk by junior Julia Hutchinson (North Billerica, Mass.) loaded the bases, and with two out, Pettenger drew a walk to force in the tying run and send the game to extra innings.
• After an error, Hancock set down three straight in the top of the eighth, but the Leopards couldn't bring in the winning run after getting two runners on with two out. A hit and wild pitch in the ninth put the go-ahead run on third for the Hawks, but a groundout ended the scoring threat. Hutchinson led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, but the Leopards were unable to advance her, bringing the game to the 10^th.
• Hancock worked around a leadoff single to set down the next three, but the Leopards went down in order in their half of the inning.
• Roger Williams finally broke the tie in the top of the 11^th. Following a pair of errors, Sydney Provencal (Cumberland, R.I.) homered to left field to give the Hawks a 7-4 lead. The Leopards were unable to match in the bottom of the inning, ending the game as Wentworth came up just short of advancing to the CCC Semifinal.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• The Leopards are now 7-48 in the all-time series against Roger Williams.

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