Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Softball team (13-10, 3-3) look to rebound after hard fought battles this past Saturday versus Framingham State. In what is a Patriot's Day tradition between Fitchburg State and Worcester State, this year the softball team hosts the Falcons (9-13, 4-2) in a double header match on Patriot's Day.
Today is not just being played for each team aiming to have the shot heard round the world, but also in honor of this year's seniors in recognition of all their contributions to the program.
This year's seniors not only included the seven from Fitchburg State but the Lancers two outstanding graduates of Emily Bartlett (Lowell, MA), who is the conference leader in strikeouts and is working her way to the top of the Lancer career leader board, and Lauren Dube (Leominster, MA), who has been a four year starter with a .312 career batting average and closing in on 100 career hits.
Final- Game 1
Fitchburg State: 4
Worcester State: 5
Final- Game 2
Fitchburg State: 0
Worcester State: 1
How it Happened:
It would be a quiet start to the first game between the Lancers and Falcons as things would get interesting in the bottom of the 3rd as the Lancers would make the push as junior Emma Lanpher (Charlton, MA) singled for a bunt and advanced to second driving in for an RBI giving the early lead to the Lancers. It was a unique play that saw a bunt turn into a runner on first coming home off of some clever base running and stolen bases over the sequence of the play that would send sophomore Bailey Tammaro, a Fitchburg native herself, sneaking across home for the first run. Soon after the bunt, senior Emily Bartlett (Lowell,MA) would send the ball deep to left field for a single that would drive in another run increasing the lead to 2-0 in the bottom 3rd.
The Falcons would be up to the plate now and gain some momentum as senior Lauren Kirkconnel (Dayville, CT) would get walked with the bases loaded bringing in the Falcons first run. The offense would start to roll again for the Lancers in the bottom of the 5th as Emma Lapoint (Westfield, MA) doubled down the left field line for an RBI that would bring Lanpher in.
The defense would continue to play hard for the Lancers and the excellent pitching from Bartlett made her nearly intouchable allowing the Lancers to grab some more ground in the bottom of the 6th. Lanpher would come up big again and double down to right field for a huge 2 RBI score that would bring in junior Morgan Keefe (Dracut, MA) and sophomore Carisa Andrews (Medfield, MA) making it a 5-1 lead for Worcester State.
Fitchburg would not go out without a fight and would put up quite a threat in the top of the 7th as they fought to come away with victory.. It would all get started by senior Dana Cisowski (Torrington,CT) as she singled to left field for an RBI and advanced a runner to second. Soon after Cisowski's hit, Isabella Sousa (Charlton, MA) would be walked advancing a runner in to score making this only a 2 run game. The Falcons Adria McKenzie (Lowell,MA) would hit one out to shortstop for a single to see the score settle at 5-4 but after a pitching change had brought first year Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) to the mound, she kept a calm composure and was able to work the Lancers out of the danger and into the win.
Worcester State would walk away with the win in a close game of the final score being 5-4. Bartlett would receive the win and strikeout a total of nine batters and Coonan would receive the save in the first game of this doubleheader.
It would once again be a quick start for the second game of today's double header between the Worcester State Lancers and the Fitchburg State Falcons. Things would get rolling in the early stages of this matchup in the bottom of the first inning as the Lancers would strike first, and ultimately last as well when Lapoint would ground out to center that would result in Lanpher making it third on the play at first, but a waffled pass by the first baseman when Lanpher initially took a wide turn on second would result in Lanpher continuing her pace and crossing home plate on what was another unusual yet successful play for the Lancers on the day. This would ultimately be the only run scored in this evening's matchup between the Lancers and Falcons.
The Lancers pitching provided by first year Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) would be amazing as she went 7 innings pitched striking out a total of 5 batters and shutting down the Falcons to walk away with the win to secure the sweep of the day in this doubleheader matchup.
What's Next:
Worcester (15-10, 5-3) now has a single day off before they return to action to host WPI on Wednesday at 4pm in two 7-inning out of conference games.