Softball Whirls Past Wheelock In Doubleheader
SOFTBALL WHIRLS PAST WHEELOCK IN DOUBLEHEADER
CHESTNUT HILL, MA, April 19, 2009 - Junior catcher Kim Lastowski (Turners Falls, MA) went a combined 6 for 8 and freshman left fielder Marlene DiRaimo (Cranston, RI) added a four RBI to lead Elms College to 10-2 and 8-0 victories over Wheelock College in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball doubleheader at Chestnut Hill.
The Blazers (15-11 overall) won for the 12th time in 14 games and remained in sole possession of second place in the NECC standings at 12-2. Wheelock fell to 4-17, 4-6 NECC.
A five-run top of the seventh helped the Blazers pull away to a 10-2 win in game one, while Destinee Meeker (Bantam, CT) and Ani Ramsdell (Gardner, MA) combined for a two-hitter in game two for the 8-0 win in five innings.
Wheelock's Stacy Seidner (Pembroke, NH), coming off of Saturday's ten strikeout performance, kept the Wildcats in the game for the first three innings of the contest, helped by a bases loaded double play in the third to keep the game scoreless.
But in the top of the fourth, DiRaimo hit a double and freshman third baseman Kelly Callahan (Monson, MA) followed with a two-run homer to stake the Blazers to a 2-0 lead.
Elms College added three more in the fifth inning, courtesy of two hits and a Wheelock error. In the bottom of the fifth Wheelock's Nicole Zina (Bristol, RI) singled to right to start the frame. Following consecutive outs, Niki Rapsis (Nashua, NH) drew the walk and Kristen Brock (Plainville, MA) followed with a single to load the bases. An error then plated a pair of unearned runs to cut Wheelock's deficit to 5-2.
After a scoreless sixth, the Blazers erupted for five runs on five hits in the seventh to seal the victory. Elms College was led by multi-hit performances from six different players, including three hits each from sophomore center fielder Allison McBride (East Providence, RI) and senior shortstop Kerrie Bowden (Chicopee, MA).
In the nightcap, the game remained scoreless until the third inning when Elms College freshman Amanda Alvarado (Ludlow, MA) scored on a groundout by Ally Graffum (Ipswitch, MA). McBride followed with a single to score Lastowski. The Blazers added two more in the fourth and four in the fifth inning, highlighted by a triple from DiRaimo.
Lastowski went 4 for 4 with two RBI in the second game.
Elms College returns to NECC play when it hosts Southern Vermont on Tuesday, April 20. Game time one is 3:00 p.m.