WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State rode a seven-run second inning to a game 1 win, and Worcester State held off a furious Owls rally in game two to get a doubleheader split in a pair of designated non-conference softball games on Thursday afternoon.
Westfield (5-7 overall) won game one by an 8-0 final, while Worcester (2-9-1) prevailed 8-7 in game two.
In the opener, Westfield strung together five straight hits to start the second inning, with Jess Chenard plating two with a single to center, and Sarah Meunier followed later in the inning with an RBI double.
That would prove to be all the offense starting pitcher Emily Arredondo (W, 2-3) would need, as she tossed a complete game 3-hitter at the Lancers.
Westfield ended the game via the eight-run rule when Megan Metzger tripled in the sixth and scored on Farrah Adam's base hit.
Adam finished 3-4 for Westfield, while Lily Spencer and Meunier each finished with two hits and a double
In the nightcap, Westfield led 4-0 after one inning, as Meunier again delivered with a 2-run triple.
The Lancers battled back with two in the fourth and three in the fifth, grabbing the lead when Rachel Bigelow hit a bases loaded squibber back to the mound, and Emily Bartlett scored in the midst of a collision and a bang-bang play at the plate, in which the ball came lose and Ally Tocman also came around to score for a 5-4 lead.
Worcester tacked on three more in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 8-4, getting RBI singles from Tocman and Victoria Alexander.
Westfield threatened in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead to 8-7 on a mammoth fly ball, 3-run home run to left field from Muenier. The ball cleared the left field fence by more than 20 feet. Jackie Renyolds slapped a one-out base hit through the left side to keep the rally going, and after Kayla Castellano popped out to the pitcher, Lily Sears rapped a solid base hit to center, but pinch runner Kayleigh Croteau was gunned down trying to go first to third on the play to end the game.
Meunier finished 3-4 with five RBI and two runs scored for the Owls. Adam and Reynolds each added two hits.
Tocman and Brynna Meeker each had two hits for the Lancers.
Starter Emily Bartlett (2-1) was the winner for the Lancers, tossing a complete game while scattering nine hits and six walks while striking out seven.
Owls starter Brenna Welch (0-3) was saddled with the loss. She worked seven innings and allowed four earned runs.