Softball Sweeps Past Wheelock College, 9-0 and 11-0

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College junior designated player Beth Grimes (Terryville, Conn.) was a combined 4 for 5 at the plate with two RBI and three runs scored to help pace the Blazers to a double header sweep of Wheelock College, 9-0 and 11-0 in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball action at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

With the wins, Elms improves to 7-9 overall, 5-3 in league play, while Wheelock moves to 0-12 on the season, 0-8 in NECC action.

Game One: Elms 9, Wheelock 0 (5 innings)

In game one, Elms plated four runs in the second and five in the fourth and pounded out 11 hits to spark the 9-0 victory.

Elms' junior pitcher Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) scattered four hits in 5.0 innings pitched and struck out nine batters in a complete-game shutout.

Grimes was 3 for 3 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI, while sophomore catcher Kierstan Skinner (South Windsor, Mass.) was 2 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Freshman pinch-hitter Tessa Cote (Granby, Mass.) was 1 for 1 with a two-run double and also scored a run.

Wheelock received two hits from Marisa Stolting (New Britain, Conn.) who was 2 for 2 on the day, while Kiersten Cosgrove (Pequannock, N.J.) and Molly Rose (Danvers, Mass.) each had a hit in the losing effort.

Maggie Doyle (Kingston, Mass.) suffered the game-one loss in the circle for the Wildcats.

Game Two: Elms 11, Wheelock 0 (5 innings

Game two featured a combined perfect game for the Blazers led by Cote who struck out four batters in 3.0 innings of work to earn the win and move to 1-1 on the season. Junior Alyson Santerre (Thompson, Conn.) pitched one scoreless inning with a strikeout, while junior Elizabeth Patient (Leicester, Mass.) also pitched a scoreless frame of relief to propel Elms to victory.

Elms scored three in the first, three in the second, one in the third and four in the fourth to clinch the 11-0 win.

Kierstan Skinner and sophomore right fielder Taylor Skinner (South Windsor, Mass.) each had two hits, sophomore catcher Samantha Alvino (Holtsville, N.Y.) had a two-run double to lead the Blazers' offensive efforts.

Vanessa Valenti (Woodstock, Conn.) suffered the loss in the circle for Wheelock in 3.2 innings of work.

Elms returns to NECC action on Sunday, April 13 when it travels to Bay Path College for double header action starting at 1:00 p.m.