BUZZARDS BAY, MA – Junior outfielder Jacqui Schwalm (Billerica, Mass.) hit a grand slam and the Worcester State softball team scored the most runs in a game since 2017 as the Lancers swept Mass. Maritime Academy in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader on Monday afternoon at Rollins Field.
The Lancers (14-14, 7-1 MASCAC) took the first game 2-1 behind a great pitching performance from Emily Bartlett (Lowell, Mass.), and then erupted for a 20-4 win in the second game against the Buccaneers (7-21, 0-8 MASCAC).
Game One: Worcester State 2, Mass. Maritime 1
Bartlett threw a complete-game three-hitter and scored the eventual winning run as the Lancers defeated the Buccaneers 2-1 in the opening game of the day. Bartlett struck out eight and gave up just one run while picking up her 7th win of the year.
Emma Lanpher (Charlton, Mass.) had two hits, including a double, and Jackie Andry (Westford, Mass.) drove in a run as the Lancers scored twice in the top of the fourth.
Abigail Koziol (Lunenburg, Mass.) scored on a throwing error on a bunt from Bartlett, and then Bartlett crossed the plate on an RBI groundout by Andry.
In the bottom of the fifth, Maritime cut the Lancer lead in half on a Rubi Butler single to right, scoring Maia Ostromecki.
Malarie Pittsley took the loss for the Bucs (3-11). She allowed two runs, both unearned over four innings of work. Sicily DiDomenico struck out two in three scoreless innings of relief.
Cam Roberts-Capak stole a bag, her 15th of the season, the new single-season stolen base record for Maritime Softball.
Game Two: Worcester State 20, Mass. Maritime 4 (5 inn.)
The Lancers scored 20 runs for the first time since April 9th, 2017, when they defeated Mass. Maritime 21-3.
Worcester State scored four runs in the top of the first and plated runs in every inning, including an eight-run third and a five-run fifth. Schwalm hit an inside the park grand slam to right center in the fifth.
Junior Naraylee Baez (Northborough, Mass.) was 4-4 with wo runs and two RBIs. Rachel Sinclair (Westminster, Mass.) and Brynna Meeker (Northwood, N.H.) each had three hits and scored three times apiece. Koziol knocked in four runs in a 2-4 day, while Lanpher and Schwalm all had more than one of Worcester's 17 hits.
Meeker and Koziol each had a double, while Sinclair recorded a triple to go with Schwalm's inside the park grand slam.
Lanpher, Meeker, Bartlett and Schwalm all had stolen bases.
Jen Thorburn (Groton, Mass.) earned the victory in the circle, improving to 6-3 after allowing just two earned runs over five innings of work.
The Lancers are on the road again tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Clark for a 3:00 PM non-conference doubleheader.
The Buccaneers will travel to Anna Maria on Wednesday for their final non-conference games of the season with the AMCATS beginning at 4pm.