WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State first-year Mia Alfonso knocked an RBI double in the right-centerfield gap to drive in Alyssa Clark with the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Owls claimed a 4-3 extra innings win over Worcester State in game two of a MASCAC doubleheader to get a split on Saturday.
Worcester State used a game-long comeback to overcome an early 7-0 deficit in the opener to win 12-8.
With the split, both teams are now 5-1 in conference play and sit in second place, one game behind Framingham State in the conference standings.
Game two featured an hour and 48 minute rain and lightning delay as thundershowers slid through the area after game one was played in perfect sunny and 75 degree conditions. The stoppage came in the top of the fifth inning with the lancers leading 2-1.
Worcester extended that lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth when play resumed, when Morgan Keefe walked and later came around to score after going to third on a Morgan Koziol single, but was able to scoot home after the throw from Westfield's Jordyn Lummus sailed over the catchers head, possibly impacted by the damp grass after the re start.
Westfield answered in the bottom of the sixth, when Abby Higgins was hit by a pitch to reach first, and Sarah Bingham followed with a towering two-run homer to left center, her second HR of the day, to tie the game at 3-3.
The Owls worked around trouble in the seventh, sawing down the potential go-ahead run at the plate on an infield-in chopper to second base.
Westfield got the game winner in the bottom of the eighth, as both Alyssa Clark and Christina Ciampa reached as hit batsmen, and Alfonso followed with the deep double to score Clark for the walk off win.
The Owls got good pitching performances from starter Janna Jose, who worked through the first four innings, and Gianna Conte, who worked the final four innings without allowing an earned run to get the win.
Lummus finished with a pair of base hits for the Owls.
In the opener, Westfield jumped out to a 7-0 lead but couldn't hold off the Lancers relentless offensive attack.
Westfield led 5-0 after one inning on a three-run homer from Bingham and a two-run blast from Alfonso.
But the Lancers struck for four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, and five in the seventh to secure the win.
Worcester rapped out a total of 17 base-hits in the game without a single extra base hit.
Jaqui Schwalm finished with three hits and three runs batted in in the Worcester rally, delivering the most bizarre finishing blow in the top of the seventh inning, as her bases-loaded, line shot back through the middle ricocheted off the foot of Owls starter Stephanie Scoville, to second baseman Megan Metzger, who tried to cut down a run at the plate. With the throw to the plate late, the Owls caught Schwalm rounding first, and eventually retired her in a rundown, but all three Worcester runners were able to come around to score before the putout was recorded with 1-4-2-6-3-7 scoring, with Alfonso filling in from left field in the rundown to make the tag.
Sarah Gosselin got the win in relief for the Lancers. Scoville worked the complete game for the Owls in just her second loss of the season. Lummus, Alfonso, Higgins and Sarah Hough were all repeat hitters for the Owls.