Walk-Off Win Caps Softball’s Sweep of Wentworth in CCC Opener

BOSTON, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene softball team picked up a pair of victories over Wentworth Friday afternoon in its first conference doubleheader of the season.

The Lions claimed game one 10-2 in five innings before walking off with a 10-9 win in the nightcap to improve to 6-6 on the season and 2-0 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Leopards fall to 0-10 overall and 0-2 in league play with the two losses.

Abigail Moore (Sheridan, Calif.) led Eastern Nazarene with five hits, five runs scored, four RBIs and a stolen base. Sterling Marino (North Kingstown, R.I.) finished with three base hits, two runs and four RBIs. Krystal Holl (Hagerstown, Md.) recorded three RBIs on the day while Cayla Clinkscale (Winchendon, Mass.) drove in two.

In game one, Wentworth got on the board in the top of the first as Sam Curran scored on a sacrifice bunt by Isabella Grassetti.

The Lions responded with seven runs in the home half of the inning. Sam Losano (Elverta, Calif.), Shelby Bass (Visalia, Calif.), Kendra Brasil (Methuen, Mass.), Olivia Tovar (Coarsegold, Calif.) and Holl all drew bases-loaded walks. Clinkscale plated Moore with an RBI single to left with one out. Bass trotted home with Eastern Nazarene's seventh run of the frame as Moore reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning.

Eastern Nazarene chalked up two runs in the third to push the score to 9-1. Marino drove in Moore from second base with a single to left field. Clinkscale registered her second RBI of the contest with a bases-loaded walk to plate Carissa Cicolini (Methuen, Mass.).

The Leopards scored once in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 9-2. Haylee Bacik crossed the plate on a sacrifice bunt by Kendall Kelly.

The Lions matched Wentworth with a run in the bottom of the inning to reclaim an eight-run edge, 10-2. Marino walked on four pitches with the bases full to allow Tovar to jog home from third.

Cicolini improved to 5-1 in the pitcher's circle with a complete game, four-strikeout effort.

In the nightcap, the Leopards grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Liz Glavin doubled to center with one out to drive in Grassetti and Curran.

Eastern Nazarene answered with a pair of scores in the bottom of the first to level the game at 2-2. Moore scampered home on a wild pitch to score the Lions' first run of the game. Eastern Nazarene drew four consecutive walks as Holl was issued the base on balls which produced the tying run.

The Lions tallied a run in the third to capture a 3-2 edge. Moore laced a ground-rule double to center to plate Brasil from second for the go-ahead score.

Wentworth scored three times in the fourth to go ahead 5-3. Glavin launched a three-run home run to left to drive in Karsyn Sawyer and Curran.

Eastern Nazarene sliced the margin to 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the fourth frame. Marino raked a run-scoring single to left with two away to score Moore.

The Leopards plated a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to stretch their advantage to three, 7-4, as Curran singled to the gap in left-center to plate two.

The Lions pulled to within one with two tallies in the home half of the inning, 7-6. Moore drove in Tovar and Bass with two outs in the frame with an opposite-field single to right.

Wentworth regained a three-run lead in the sixth inning with two runs. After a leadoff triple by Sawyer, Glavin blasted her second homer of the game to left center.

Eastern Nazarene tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three times. Marino came around to score from second on a single by Holl. Clinkscale dashed home from third as a wild pitch reached the backstop. Another wild pitch allowed Holl to cross the plate with the equalizer.

The Lions pushed across the game-winning run in the seventh inning. With two runners in scoring position and no outs, Marino lifted a sacrifice fly to right to allow Moore to tag up and score the winning run.

Tovar picked up her first win of the season in the pitcher's circle as she tossed a complete game and fanned six batters.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene hits the road for a Commonwealth Coast Conference twinbill at Nichols March 25.