Softball Soars Past Becker College With Doubleheader Sweep

Box Scores

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore catcher Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) went a combined 3 for 6 with six RBI to help lift the Blazers to a doubleheader sweep of Becker College in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball action at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

With an 8-0 five-inning win in the first game and a 7-3 victory in the second game, Elms improves to 18-12 overall, 12-2 in NECC play, while Becker falls to 14-20 overall, 10-6 in conference action.

Elms 8, Becker 0 (5 innings)

In the bottom of the first frame, junior shortstop Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass.) reached on an outfield error, advanced to second on a base hit by sophomore third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) and then both runners moved up 60 feet on a passed ball. Buckley then ripped a two-run triple to right field and scored on a throwing error on the relay to give Elms a 3-0 lead after one inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Blazers tacked on two runs when junior left fielder Marlene DiRaimo (Cranston, R.I.) singled in Butt with the bases-loaded before senior pitcher Destinee Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give Elms a 5-0 cushion.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Butt reached on an outfield miscue and advanced to second when Buckley was walked before scoring on a bullet down the right field line off the bat of freshman first baseman Allyson Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) to lift Elms' advantage to 6-0. A sacrifice bunt by sophomore second baseman Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) moved Witaszek to second and kept Buckley on third before DiRaimo smashed a two-run, walk-off base hit up the middle to give the Blazers an 8-0 mercy rule win.

Meeker was tremendous in the circle en route to her 10^th win of the season, tossing a one-hitter through five innings with three strikeouts.

Paige Needham (Worcester, Mass.) suffered the game one loss for Becker.

Butt, Witaszek and DiRaimo cracked two hits each, while DiRaimo and Buckley drove in three and two runs respectively.

Whitney Buck (Old Town, Maine) delivered the Hawks' lone hit of the opener in the third inning.

 Elms 7, Becker 3

Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Elms exploded for four runs when freshman designated player Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) singled and was then pinch-run for by sophomore Jessica Cockshaw (Palmer, Mass.). Cockshaw stole second and then scored on a single to center by senior right fielder Alison McBride (East Providence, R.I.). Lipscomb followed with a base hit before Buckley delivered a two-run single to right field to put Elms on top 4-3. Bonavita then drilled a pinch-hit RBI single two batters later to extend the lead to 5-3.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth stanza, Buckley again came through with a two-run single driving Butt and Lipscomb who had reached via base hit and fielder's choice respectively to increase Elms' lead to 7-3.

Meeker, who had entered in the sixth inning to pitch for junior starter Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) with the score set at 5-3, tossed a pair of scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn her first save of the season.

Hampton pitched the first five innings and fired six strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 8-6 overall.

Jessica Lewis (Bellingham, Mass.) suffered the loss for Becker.

Butt went 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Buckley recorded four RBI and notched two hits in the winning effort.

The Hawks' Rachel Weidele (Woodbridge, N.J.) and Rachel Walsh (Hadley, Mass.) tallied two hits apiece.

Elms returns to NECC action when it hosts Southern Vermont College in its regular season finale on Sunday, May 1. Game times are slated for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. at Cheryl R. Condon Field.