Softball Splits NECC Doubleheader With Newbury

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Elms College sophomore shortstop Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass.) went 4 for 5 with two RBI in game one of the Blazers' New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball doubleheader split with Newbury College on Sunday at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

With the split, Elms moves to 12-14 overall, 9-1 in league action, while Newbury improves to 10-19 on the season, 3-10 in league play.

Game One – Elms 8, Newbury 6

Elms jumped to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first when Lipscomb cracked a one-out single, stole second and then came home on a two-out double to left center field by freshman first baseman Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.). Sophomore left fielder Marlene DiRaimo (Cranston, R.I.) followed with a three-bagger before sophomore pitcher Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) helped her cause by singling in DiRaimo with the third run of the frame. Sophomore third baseman Kelly Callahan (Monson, Mass.) reached on a Newbury miscue, sending Hampton to second and setting up junior designated player Destinee Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) who crushed an RBI double left center to produce the fourth tally of the inning.

The Nighthawks responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning when Olga Cepeda (Boston, Mass.) singled in Katelyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) who reached via walk to lead off the stanza. A two-run double by Catherine O'Connell (Quincy, Mass.) cut Newbury's deficit to one (4-3).

The Blazers posted a 7-3 cushion in the top of the third inning when Callahan drilled a one-out single, moved to second on a two-out base hit to left center by senior catcher Tiffany Williams (Berlin, Conn.) and then moved to third when senior right fielder Kim Lastowski (Turners Falls, Mass.) reached on a Nighthawks' error to load the bags. Lipscomb then delivered a two-run double to give Elms a 6-3 lead. Senior second baseman Ally Graffum (Ipswich, Mass.) drew a free pass to reload the bases for Buckley who earned an RBI base on balls to give the Blazers a four-run cushion before a fly out got Newbury out of the jam.

The Nighthawks countered with two runs in the home half of the third when Cepeda launched a two-out, two-run homer to center field, pulling Newbury to within two at 7-5.

Newbury closed to within one in the bottom of the fifth when Theresa Hylinksi (Stratford, Conn.) delivered an RBI single to set the score at 7-6.

Elms used an RBI base hit by Meeker to extend the lead back to two runs, and from there, Hampton allowed just one hit over the next two innings and held Newbury scoreless to seal the victory.

Hampton fired eight strikeouts to pick up her eighth win of the season and move to 8-5. Newbury starter Sarah Young (Waterloo, N.Y.) suffered the loss and falls to 2-4 overall.

The Blazers pounded out 17 hits, including three apiece from Williams and Buckley and two RBI each from Lipscomb, Buckley and Meeker.

Game Two – Newbury 3, Elms 0

The nightcap featured a display of impressive pitching that saw the sides take a scoreless tie into the bottom of the fifth inning where Newbury broke the deadlock when Jessica Jordan (Stoneham, Mass.) reached on a two-out fielder's choice to drive in Katie O'Hara (Abingdon, Md.) who got on board via a one-out walk earlier in the inning. Mark followed with an RBI single giving the Nighthawks a 2-0 advantage.

With two on and none out in the bottom of the sixth, O'Connell added to the lead when she belted a run-scoring double to lift the Newbury lead to 3-0.

O'Hara, who retired the side in order in five of the seven innings, allowed just three hits and faced one over the minimum number of batters (22) thanks to a 5-3-1-2 triple play to end the game. O'Hara struck out eight batters to earn the victory and move to 6-8 overall.

Elms' junior hurler Ani Ramsdell (Gardner, Mass.) was equally dominant in the circle, taking a one-hitter into the fifth inning before Newbury struck for a pair of runs. Ramsdell fanned four batters in the losing effort and falls to 1-9 on the season.

Elms returns to NECC action on Tuesday, April 27 when it hosts Lesley University in a pivotal doubleheader. First-pitch of game one is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Cheryl R. Condon Field.