Softball Splits MASCAC Twinbill with Worcester State

By Steven M. Miller, Jr.

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Worcester State and Bridgewater State split a crucuial MASCAC softball doubleheader this afternoon on the final weekend of conference regular season play.

Sophomore Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) crossed the plate in a come-from-behind 4-3 triumph for the Lancers in the first game before the Bears used a six-run fourth frame to defeat WSC 10-3 in the nightcap.

With the results from today’s twinbill the Blue and Gold move to 19-15 while BSC goes to 18-19 overall. Framingham State swept Fitchburg State in earlier MASCAC action this afternoon to create a three-way tie for third place with the Lancers and the Bears as all three squads now have identical 9-5 marks in conference play. The league tournament seeding’s will be announced later this evening.

With their victory in the opening game of the doubleheader, the Lancers snapped a 16 game losing streak to the Bears. The last triumph came on April 6, 2002 as WSC took the back-end of a regular season doubleheader. A 6-5 setback in the first round of the MASCAC Tournament to the Bears was what started the drought.

In the opening game, Worcester State went up 1-0 on a RBI double by junior southpaw Michaella Mahoney (Shrewsbury, MA) as she drove in sophomore Jamie Jacobs (Billerica, MA) who drew a two-out walk.

The Bears though would soon tie the score in the top of the fourth. Junior Penny King (Hanover, MA) recorded a single and then she was plated in by freshman Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, MA). The Lancers were fortunate that the frame ended with the score knotted 1-1 as sophomore Lauren Besozzi (Milford, MA) gunned down two BSC players at the plate on base knocks to the outfield.

After a scoreless fifth, King and third-year right hander Tracy Sanko (Windsor, CT) got on base with consecutive hits. Sophomore Michaella Ferreira (Fall River, MA) hit a shallow fly ball to centerfield which would have been the third out of the inning, but it was misplayed and that allowed King and Sanko to cross the plate to give Bridgewater State the 3-1 advantage.

But the Lancers edged closer as sophomore Ashley Howe (Winchendon, MA) jacked a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth for her second career dinger.

Mahoney then tossed a scoreless top of the seventh to set the stage for their rally in the bottom of the frame. Besozzi led off with a double before Cordio swatted an RBI triple to equalize the score 3-3. Senior Ashley Loomer (Pepperell, MA) followed with a walk to put runners on the corners. In the next at-bat, the catcher tried to catch Loomer as she was stealing second, but her throw sailed into centerfield. This allowed Cordio to scamper across for the game-clinching run.

Mahoney went the distance to improve her record to 13-8 as she allowed three runs (one earned) off of seven hits. She fanned four and walked no one.

Sanko hurled six solid innings for the Bears as she yielded two earned runs while she scattered six hits. Sanko struck out five and issued a pair of free passes. Senior right hander Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) shouldered for the loss as she came on in the bottom of the seventh and she gave up the tying and go-ahead scores.

Cordio, Mahoney and Howe all tallied two hits apiece for WSC while King and sophomore Jordan McDermott (E. Bridgewater, MA) chipped in with a pair of base knocks. Cordio hammered her third three-bagger of the year for WSC.

In the second contest, Bridgewater State took the early 3-0 in the top of the second lead off of sophomore right hander Marcy Rumrill (Orange, MA). Senior Meghan Noyes (Stoughton, MA) singled and then King drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Shaw followed with an RBI double and then Sanko grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate King. Fourth year Lauren Cucionotta (Franklin, MA) manufactured the third run on a ground out to the pitcher.

The Bears tacked on another run in the bottom in third as McDermott came around to score on a miscue in the outfield that the pitcher threw into right field on a ground ball.

BSC broke the game open as they tagged Mahoney, who came into the game in the third, for six runs in the top of the fourth. The six run frame was highlighted by a two-run triple by Ferreria and a single by Shaw that plated a pair of runs.

It was after Shaw’s base hit that freshman Melissa Beaudry (Worcester, MA/St. Peter-Marian) was summoned into the circle and she promptly ended the inning with a ground-out. Beaudry would retire nine of the last 12 batters that she would face to give the Lancers a chance to get back into the game.

Worcester State answered as they made it a 10-3 game in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Kaitlyn Laflash (Northbridge, MA) drove in a pair to break the shutout and then Besozzi added the third run on an RBI fielder’s choice.

But their rally would not be enough as Sanko dominated the last three frames of play. She would allow just two base runners in her three innings of work as she earned her first save of the season. Sanko notched five punch outs for BSC.

Freshman Meghan Dunn (Colchester, CT) earned the triumph as she improved her record to 8-6. Dunn gave up three earned runs off six hits while she walked one and struck out no batters. Rumrill evened out her season mark to 4-4 for the Blue and Gold.

Noyes, Shaw, Cucinotta and first-year Brianna Strecker (Waterford, CT) all went 2-for-4 for the Bears while Laflash went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Cordio also finished with a pair of hits for WSC.