Wyrwa’s Two Homers Lift WNEC Past Softball, 15-3

Box Score

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs but Western New England College's (WNEC) Rachel Wyrwa (Methuen, Mass.) was 4 for 4 with a pair of three-run homers to help lift the Golden Bears to a 15-3 five-inning win over the Blazers in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference softball game at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

With the loss, Elms moves to 8-9 overall, while WNEC improves to 10-11 on the season.

WNEC plated at least three runs in each of the first four innings and scored four times in the first, third and fourth frames to highlight its 15-3 victory.

Wyrwa notched her first RBI in the top of the first inning when she doubled in Rachelle Francese (Dalton, Mass.). Rachelle Fecteau (East Lyme, Conn.) added a run-scoring single, driving in Jeana Longo (Schenectady, N.Y.), and the Golden Bears used a pair of Elms' miscues to post an early 4-0 lead.

WNEC increased its lead to 7-0 in the top of the second when Wyrwa launched the first of her two three-run blasts, cracking the first over the fence in center field. Wyrwa's second long ball came an inning later to spark a four-run third inning as the Golden Bears opened up an 11-0 lead.

Elms loaded the bases in the bottom of the third and sophomore catcher Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the Blazers' deficit to 10 runs at 11-1.

A two-run double in the top of the fourth by Francese and an RBI single to left field by Erin Griffin (Lowell, Mass.) ignited WNEC's third four-run stanza of the game, pushing the score to 15-1.

The Blazers again jammed the sacks in the bottom of the fifth and Butt laced a two-out, two-run single to left field to set the score at 15-3, but an inning-ending fielder's choice ended the inning.

Elms' junior pitcher Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) and WNEC reliever Dianna Wilms (Arlington, Mass.) combined to toss a scoreless fifth frame.

Hampton suffered the loss and falls to 4-5 on the season, while Golden Bears' starter Fecteau earned the win and improves to 1-2 on the season.

Fancese was 4 for 4 with three RBI and four runs scored, while Wyrwa finished with seven runs batted in.

Elms' freshman designated player Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) was 2 for 3 at the dish in the loss.

Elms returns to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action when it hosts Bay Path College on Saturday, April 9 for a doubleheader. Game times are slated for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. at Cheryl R. Condon Field.