WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University sophomore 3B Hannah Wodecki delivered an RBI double to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete the comeback as Westfield scored an 8-7, walk-off win over Keene State in game two to sweep a non-conference doubleheader at the WSU Softball Field on Monday afternoon.
Westfield trailed 6-0 in the nightcap after two and a half innings before chipping away at the big lead.
The Owls registered a 7-4 win in the opener.
In the nightcap, Keene scrapped together six runs in the first three innings, the big blow a 2-run single from Elise Picard.
Westfield got three runs in the bottom half of the third, getting a 2-run single from Mia Alfonso, and an infield RBI single from Annalyse Rivera to trim the lead to 6-3.
Keene tacked on another run in the fourth to lead 7-3. Westfield added three more in the bottom of the fourth. Ella Malanson and Christina Ciampa led the inning with base hits; Wodecki plated one run with a sacrifice fly, and Alfonso drove in another run with a double. Westfield caught a break when Rachel Brewer-Kamini reached safely on an error to score another run and trim the lead to 7-6.
Fielding miscues again came into play in the fifth, as Westfield's Kiana Kalman reached when hustling down the line on a two-out error, advanced to third on another error, and came around to score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 7-7.
In the bottom of the seventh, Westfield got singles from Sarah Bingham and Kalman sandwiched around a foul out, and Wodecki drove the ball in the left-centerfield gap, scoring Bingham for the game-winner.
Stephanie Scoville (W, 5-2) got the win in relief, working two scoreless innings to close out the game.
Lilah Demmy (L, 2-7) took the loss in relief for Keene State. Kalle Halvorsen finished 3-4 for Keene with three runs scored.
In the opener, Westfield jumped out to a 5-3 lead after two innings. Christina Ciampa knocked and RBI double in the second, and an RBI triple in the fifth. Wodecki finished 2-4 and Alfonso 2-3 with a double and an RBI.
Westfield State Gianna Conte (W, 5-1) tossed two innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, with Scoville coming in late to get her third save of the season.
Keene starter Demmy (L, 2-6) went the distance, scattering nine hits and striking out seven and allowing four earned runs.
The defensive effort was uneven from both teams as they combined for 14 errors in the twinbill.
Halvorsen finished 3-5 with a run and an RBI. Grace Wallace had a 2-run double in the first inning to get Keene on the board early.
Westfield State is now 11-4-1 on the season. The Owls will travel to Mass Maritime to play a doubleheader tomorrow (which was rescheduled from Saturday, 3/30) with a 4:00 p.m. start time. Keene drops to 4-12 on the season.
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