Worcester State University Swings Past Softball, 5-0 And 9-2

Box Scores

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Worcester State University's Michaela Mahoney (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was a combined 4 for 6 at the plate with four RBI and tossed complete-game shutout in the first game to help lift the Lancers to a sweep of Saturday afternoon's non-conference softball doubleheader with Elms College on Saturday at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

Worcester State claimed a 5-0 victory in game one and followed that with a 9-2 win in game two and is now 9-3 on the season. Elms falls to 5-8 overall.

Worcester State 5, Elms 0

Worcester State broke the scoreless tie in the top of the second when Carolyn Hassett (Charlton, Mass.) singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then raced to third on a wild pitch. A single to left field by Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) allowed Hassett to come full circle with the first run of the game. Alex Kerr (Franklin, Mass.) then launched a towering two-run home run over the right field fence giving the Lancers a 3-0 lead.

Worcester State added to its lead in the top of the third when Erica Cordio (Leominster, Mass.) and Mahoney connected for back-to-back doubles, the latter of which resulted in the Lancers' fourth tally of the game. Mahoney advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jaime Jacobs (Billerica, Mass.) to give Worcester State a 5-0 cushion.

Elms' junior pitcher Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) settled down and held the Lancers at bay for the rest of the game, tossing three strikeouts in the process, but suffered the loss to move to 3-4 on the season.

Mahoney (4-0) scattered six hits and fanned eight batters en route to the win. Mahoney helped her own cause by going 2 for 3 with an RBI while, Kerr drove in two on her blast in the second frame.

Elms' senior right fielder Alison McBride (East Providence, R.I.) was 2 for 3 in the losing effort.

Worcester State 9, Elms 2

After the Lancers crossed the plate in the top of the first to stake a 1-0 edge, Elms' senior hurler Destinee Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) and Worcester State pitcher Hannah Everson (Methuen, Mass.) pitched three scoreless innings until a five-run fifth inning opened up the game for the Lancers.

A bases loaded walk to Mahoney brought in the first run and two runs scored on a Blazers' throwing error to set up Lamoureux who cranked a home run to left center field to give Worcester State a 6-0 lead.

The Lancers tacked on two in the top of the sixth stanza highlighted by a two-run single through the left side by Mahoney to up the lead to 8-0.

Elms got the two runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Meeker singled in a pair of runs but a late Lancers' run in the top of the seventh sealed a 9-2 victory for Worcester State.

Kylene Pease (Ashland, Mass.) was 4 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Cordio and Mahoney drilled two hits each to spark the Lancers' offense.

Everson (3-1) tossed five strikeouts in the complete-game win, while Elms' junior shortstop Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass.) delivered two hits, and Meeker drove in two runs in the loss.

Meeker struck out three batters and suffered the loss in the circle and is now 3-3 overall.

Elms returns to non-conference action on Monday, March 28 against Smith College at 4:30 p.m. at Cheryl R. Condon Field.