Softball Snaps Losing Streak With Sweep of Wheelock

BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Haylee Bacik (Lowell, Mass.) went 4-for-6 with six RBI and earned a win in the pitcher's circle as the Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team swept Wheelock, 10-0 and 11-3 in non-conference action played on Carr Diamond.

The Leopards, who snapped a 10-game losing streak, improve to 6-22 on the season, matching the total number of wins from a season ago, while the Wildcats slip to 0-8.

Wentworth got all of the runs it would need in the first inning of the opener, scoring five times. Junior Sam Curran had an RBI double, and came into score on a two-run double off the bat of Bacik. Bacik would score on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout by junior Isabella Grassetti (Monson, Mass.) plated freshman Marina MacDonald Soccorso (Avon, Conn.) who had drawn a one-out walk.

The Leopards added an unearned run in the third when senior Mariana Moniz (Alges, Portugal) reached on a fielder's choice which scored senior Paige Mochi (Cambridge, Mass.), who led off the inning by reaching on an error. An inning later Wentworth tacked on four runs as sophomore Karsyn Sawyer (Chatham, N.Y.) led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch, which moved junior Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass.), who walked, to second. Curran came in to score on a junior Liz Glavin (Ipswich, Mass.) home run. Bacik hit a ground-rule double and came home on an error when MacDonald-Soccorso doubled.

Freshman Maya Bloom (Hopkinton, N.H.) picked up the win (2-5) as she allowed just two hits and struck out four in five innings. Bacik was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, Sawyer had a pair of hits, and Glavin drove in two.

Freshman Vanessa Valenti (Woodstock, Conn.) was tagged with the loss (0-2) as she allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits in four innings. Junior Molly Rose (Weymouth, Mass.) and senior Michelle Greene (Mansfield, Mass.) had the lone Wildcat hits.

Game two saw the hosts take a 3-0 lead after one inning, as Sawyer led off with a single and stole second, Curran hit a single, and Bacik delivered a three-run home run. Wheelock trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the top of the second, thanks in part to a pair of Leopard errors. Freshman Erin Rice (Windsor, Vt.) had an RBI single and Greene had an RBI groundout.

Wentworth upped its lead to 5-2 in the second on a two-run double off the bat of Glavin, which scored Curran and Sawyer, both of whom had hits.

The Wildcats made it a 5-3 game in the top of the third after a safety squeeze from Rose scored sophomore Katie Fleming (West Boylston, Mass.) who had led off the inning with a single.

In the bottom of the inning the Leopards broke the game open, thanks to an RBI single from junior Angie Rodriguez (Boston, Mass.) and a sacrifice fly from Sawyer before Curran and Glavin delivered back-to-back home runs.

Leading 1-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Rodriguez led off with a single and went to second when Sawyer reached on an error. After both batters advanced after an infield fly, Glavin walked to load the bases. Bacik ended the game as she delivered a single through the left side to score Rodriguez.

Bacik improved to 3-11 as she allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in three innings of work. Bloom pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Curran was 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Sawyer, Glavin, Bacik, and Rodriguez all had two hits each. Bacik and Glavin drove in four and three runs, respectively.

Freshman Maggie Doyle (Kingston, Mass.) took the loss in 2.2 innings of work before Rice pitched the final 1.1 and allowed an unearned run on two hits. Valenti had two of Wheelock's five hits.

Wentworth concludes the home portion of its schedule on Saturday as the Leopards face Commonwealth Coast Conference foe Nichols in a Noon doubleheader. Wheelock hosts Bay Path tomorrow in a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader at 3:00.