Softball Splits Non-Conference Twinbill with UMass-Boston

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College softball team halved a non-league doubleheader against UMass-Boston Wednesday afternoon at Mitchell/McCoy Field in the first meeting between the teams since 1999.

The Lions suffered a narrow 1-0 setback in game one before earning an 8-0 victory in the nightcap to move to 11-13 on the season. The Beacons progress to 14-8 overall with the results.

Becky Bahr (Brentwood, N.Y.) paced Eastern Nazarene with three RBIs and a pair of hits on the day. Viviana Coix (Warrenville, Ill.) finished with two base knocks, two RBIs and two runs scored while Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) collected two hits and crossed the dish twice.

UMass-Boston scored the game's only run in the top of the second inning to claim a 1-0 lead. Kristina Bove drew a bases-loaded walk to knock in Roxanne Vento from third base.

Heidi Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) pitched five innings and recorded a pair of strikeouts in her 11th start of the season. Weidler hurled two innings of relief and fanned four batters.

Eastern Nazarene bounced back in game two to prevail 8-0 in five innings.

The Lions struck for four runs in the second inning to establish a 4-0 advantage. With two runners aboard, Coix roped a double to right-center to drive in Weidler from second. Payton Fry (Chandler, Ariz.) scampered home as Meghan Stanley (Bedford, Mass.) sliced a single to right before Coix scored on an infield hit by Bahr. Stanley crossed the plate as Emily Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) reached on an error.

The home side tacked on four runs in the fifth to cap off the win. Coix poked a bases-loaded single to right to plate Lauren Clements (Garrison, Texas) and Weidler scored as Heidi Gomez reached on a fielder's choice. Bahr delivered the victory-clinching RBIs with a bases-loaded single to center to drive in Fry and Coix.

Weidler spun a complete-game shutout with five strikeouts to post her fifth victory of the spring in the pitcher's circle.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene will host defending CCC champion Western New England April 14.