Softball Swept by Lesley University, 8-5 and 9-0

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -  The Elms College softball team suffered a double-header loss to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) foe Lesley University by scores of 8-5 and 9-0 in five innings on Sunday afternoon at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols in Cambridge, Mass.

With the two losses, Elms moves to 9-17 on the season, 8-8 in conference action, while Lesley improves to 17-17 overall, 13-1 in NECC play.

Lesley 8, Elms 5

In the opener, Elms took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI groundout by freshman right fielder Samantha Alvino (Holtsville, N.Y.) and a single to center field by senior third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.).

Elms' sophomore pitcher Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) held the Lynx scoreless through the first three innings before Lesley erupted for a seven-run bottom of the fourth frame.

The Lynx used RBI singles from Jodee Doka (Sacramento, Calif.), Maria Nazzaro (North Reading, Mass.) and Molly Sarson (Sanford, Maine) and a two-run base hit by Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.) before Allison Fountain (Cheshire, Conn.) cracked a two-run homer to highlight the seven-run, seven-hit stanza.

Elms rallied with three runs in the top of the fifth when freshman shortstop Taylor Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.) laced a two-run double to left field and later came around to score on a strikeout/wild pitch issued to junior Kellie McLaughlin (Pittsfield, Mass.) to set the score at 7-5.

A run scoring double to left field off the bat of Sarah Apgar (Andover, N.J.) plated Lesley's final run and set the game one final at 8-5.

Butt and junior first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) had two hits each while Taylor Skinner drove in two.

Colson (3-8) suffered the loss allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits and struck out six batters.

Sarson was 3 for 4 at the plate while Fountain and Angela Mukai (Amherst, N.H.) had two hits each, while Mangiaratti and Fountain drove in two runs apiece.

Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass.) allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out seven hitters to move to 8-5 on the season.

Lesley 9, Elms 0 (5 innings)

In the second game, Lesley used a five-run fourth inning and Jordan Thomas (Fitchburg, Mass.) fired a complete-game one-hitter through five frames. Thomas fanned six batters as Taylor Skinner was the only Blazers batter to record a hit.

Freshman pitcher Jamie Miner (Chicopee, Mass.) suffered the game two loss to move to 4-4 in the circle.

Sarson, Mukai and Doka each collected two hits, while Mukai drove in three runs and Sydney Thayer (Reading, Mass.) notched two RBI.