WORCESTER, Mass. - The Worcester State University softball team suffered a pair of defeats at the hands of Framingham State University Friday evening in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Raymond Diamond. Worcester State fell in game one by a final of 6-0, before falling in game two 5-1.
With the losses, Worcester State moves to 9-14-1 on the season, and finishes the conference season at 3-6-1. Framingham State finishes with a perfect MASCAC record of 10-0 and moves to 26-6 overall.
Game 1 - Framingham State 6, Worcester State 0
Worcester State struggled for offense in game one as Framingham State was able to secure the shutout victory by a final score of 6-0.
The Lancers recorded just four hits off of Framingham sophomore hurler Ally Moran, who went the distance for her 11th win of the season. Graduate student Samantha Stake (Worcester, Mass.) and first-year Brynna Meeker (Northwood, N.H.) each recorded a pair of hits to account for the entirety of Worcester State's offense.
Kaylee Nearen opened the scoring for the visitors in the top of the second inning on an RBI double to left field, scoring teammate Mercedes Jimenez to put the Rams up 1-0.
The Rams added to their lead by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Moran helped her own cause with an RBI single to open the scoring in the inning, before her team tacked on a run off a Worcester State error.
Moran did more damage in the top of the fifth, roping a two-run double to push Framingham's lead to 5-0. In the top of the sixth, Laela Pepin got in on the fun with an RBI single, giving the game its final score of 6-0.
Liv Larson (Marlborough, Mass.) took the loss in the circle for Worcester State, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Game 2 - Framingham State 5, Worcester State 1
Framingham remained red hot in the circle in game two to secure the sweep over the Lancers.
The Rams tacked on three runs in the top of the first for all the offense they would need. Pepin and Zoe Smyth recorded RBIs on bases loaded walks, while Shannon Ward was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the game a score of 3-0.
The score was still 3-0 in the fifth when Framingham added two more to go ahead 5-0. Jimenez recorded an RBI single in the inning, and later came around to score on a fielding error.
Worcester State got its only run of the doubleheader in the bottom of the sixth. After a Rachel Bigelow (Westborough, Mass.) triple, Meeker recorded a run batted in with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 5-1, which would prove to be the final score.
Ward got the complete game victory for Framingham State, allowing just the one earned run on eight hits with five strikeouts. Worcester State's Emily Bartlett (Lowell, Mass.) took the loss, allowing four earned on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
The teams will meet again at Framingham State for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch in game one is slated for 12 p.m.
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