Softball Sweeps by Newbury College, 8-1 and 8-0

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Elms College senior pitcher Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) earned a pair of victories in the circle tossing a combined 10 strikeouts to help pace the Blazers to an 8-1 and 8-0 wins over Newbury College in Wednesday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball double-header played at Pine Manor College.

With the wins, Elms improves to 10-15 on the season, 6-6 in conference play, while Newbury falls to 4-24 overall, 2-9 in league action.

Elms 8, Newbury 1

In game one, Elms plated two runs in the top of the first when sophomore third baseman Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) connected for an RBI groundout and junior catcher Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) reached on fielder's choice and eventually scored on a passed ball to give the Blazers a 2-0 lead.

After Newbury scored on an RBI single to right by Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) in the bottom of the third, sophomore first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) cracked a run-scoring single to right field and senior right fielder Jennifer Killion (Cambridge, Mass.) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field to highlight a two-run fourth and extend the lead to 4-1.

The Blazers pulled away in the top of the seventh when Buckley, Zisk and sophomore second baseman Abby Capone (Fitchburg, Mass.) each drilled RBI singles, while Hampton helped her cause with an RBI groundout to spark a four-run seventh and seal the 8-1 victory.

Killion and Buckley each registered two hits, scored two runs and drove in a run each, while Capone and Witaszek both went 2 for 3 with an RBI in game one. Zisk added two RBI, while Hampton tossed five strikeouts in the circle and allowed just six hits to earn the win.

Elms 8, Newbury 0

Elms notched its four-run inning in the top of the first in game two as sophomore designated player Caitlee Carrier (Charlestown, Mass.) and Witaszek collected run-scoring base hits and freshman left fielder Colleen Flaherty (Stoughton, Mass.) chipped in a two-run single to highlight the frame.

The Blazers scored a run in the top of the second when Killion scampered home on a wild pitch after singling and stealing twice. Elms then added to its lead with a pair in the top of the fourth when Carrier doubled in junior center fielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) and then scored when Buckley reached on an error to set the score at 7-0.

Killion singled in senior shortstop Amanda Alvarado (Springfield, Mass.) in the top of the fifth to give Elms an 8-0 advantage and Hampton continued to keep Newbury off the board, tossing her fifth scoreless frame of the contest to seal the win.

Hampton improved to 6-7 after scattering 10 hits and tossing five strikeouts to propel the Blazers to victory.

Carrier and Flaherty drove in two runs each, while Killion and Carrier pounded out two hits each in the winning effort.

Theresa Hylinski (Stratford, Conn.) and Rebecca Roach (Charlton, Mass.) collected three hits each for the Nighthawks in the losing effort.

Elms returns to NECC action on Saturday, April 21 with a double-header at Becker College at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Leicester, Mass.