QUINCY, Mass. – Freshman Kori Sorensen (Quincy, Mass.) scored the winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh to snap a 1-all tie and lift the Eastern Nazarene softball team to a 2-1 win over Wentworth in the first game and Sorensen again provided the heroics in the nightcap as her one-out single snapped a 4-all tie to give the Lions the sweep with a 5-4 win.
With two outs in the first inning of the opener Wentworth loaded the bases when freshman Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass.) walked, went to second on a freshman Liz Glavin (Ipswich, Mass.) single, and moved to third when sophomore Haylee Bacik (Lowell, Mass.) walked. However, the threat ended on a strikeout.
Eastern Nazarene took a 1-0 lead in the home half of the inning when sophomore Taylor Fleming (Taylor, Ind.) hit a solo home run to right field.
The game remained 1-0 in favor of the hosts until the Leopards knotted the score at 1-all when senior Samantha Altieri (Lakeville, Mass.) singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Mieka Melbourne (Royalston, Mass.). Altieri stole third and came home on a wild pitch after freshman Isabella Grassetti (Monson, Mass.) walked. The Leopards had the go-ahead run at third base with two outs in the inning but couldn't break the tie.
Sorensen led off the seventh with a single, and, after being sacrificed to second, went to third on a wild pitch before the Lions walked off with the win when she scored on a sophomore Cayla Clinkscale (Winchendon, Mass.) base hit.
Sorensen improved to 10-8 on the year as she allowed one run on four hits, walked four, and struck out six. Five different players recorded hits for Eastern Nazarene.
Freshman Sam Burgner (Dalton, Mass.) picked up the loss as she allowed a pair of runs on five hits and struck out five in 6.1 innings of work. Glavin, Altieri, Grassetti, and freshman Devinn Doherty (Bridgewater, Mass.) accounted for the Leopards' hits.
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two as sophomore Samantha Losano (Elverta, Calif.) drew a leadoff walk on a Fleming single. Sophomore Abigail Moore (Sheridan, Calif.) singled and an error allowed Losano to score.
Wentworth took a 2-1 lead when Glavin walked and went to third when Bacik reached on an error. Senior Randi Swihart (Gardner, Mass.) drove in Glavin and Baick went to third before Bacik would score when Altieri grounded out. An inning later the Leopards extended their lead to 4-1 as Grassetti led off being hit by a pitch and stole second. She moved to third when Doherty grounded out and scored on a sophomore Kelly Budzik (Fort Plain, N.Y.) single. On the play Budzik moved to second on an error and went to third when Curran delivered an infield hit. Budzik would come home to score on a Lion error.
Eastern Nazarene got two back in the home half of the inning to make it a 4-3 game as Fleming led off with a walk and scored on a junior Jamie Block (Pembroke, Mass.) triple. Block came around to score on a Sorensen groundout.
The Leopards loaded the bases with two out in the sixth inning but were unable to get an insurance run home.
Freshman Olivia Tovar (Coarsegold, Calif.) led off the seventh with a single and went to second on a Losano single. Fleming reached on a two-base error that scored the tying run in Tovar before Moore walked to load the bases. Sorensen ended the game with a single to left, plating Losano.
Senior Hannah Moore (Sheridan, Calif.) picked up the win as she allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits, walked five, and struck out eight. Sorensen, Hannah Moore, and Tovar had two hits apiece, with Sorensen driving in two runs.
Burgner finished her rookie campaign at 6-20 as she allowed five runs (two earned) while walking four and striking out seven. Four different players recorded hits for the Leopards, including Glavin who tied the program record for hits in a season with 39.
With the win the Lions improve to 12-22 overall and 6-12 in Commonwealth Coast Conference play. Eastern Nazarene will open the 2012 CCC Tournament on Saturday against an opponent to be determined. Wentworth, which won just one game a season ago, finishes 10-25 (1-17).
