Softball Secures Playoff Spot with Two Crucial Victories Over Gordon

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College softball team defeated Gordon 9-1 in six innings and 7-3 Friday afternoon, clinching a spot in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament for the first time since 2013.

The Lions improve to 15-21 on the season and 7-9 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the doubleheader sweep. The Fighting Scots fall to 10-23-1 overall and 3-13 in league play with the results.

Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) collected four base hits, four RBIs and one run scored in the two games. Emily Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) registered four hits, two runs scored and one RBI. Becky Bahr (Brentwood, N.Y.) posted three base knocks, three runs scored and a stolen base. Meghan Stanley (Bedford, Mass.) finished with three hits, two runs scored and one RBI while Lauren Clements (Garrison, Texas) drove in three RBIs and added two hits.

The Lions racked up nine runs on 11 base hits to power their way to a 9-1 win in game one.

Eastern Nazarene opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, grabbing a 4-0 lead. Weidler hammered her seventh homer of the season, a two-run shot, to match the program's single-season record. Viviana Coix (Warrenville, Ill.) drove in Clements from second with a double to right and Emily Gomez followed with a single to plate Coix.

The Lions added two runs in the second to push their advantage to 6-0. Kaitlyn Jimenez (Meriden, Conn.) crossed the dish for the second time in the game as Weidler raked a single to center. Bahr scurried home as Clements rolled a grounder third.

The hosts chalked up a pair of runs in the third to widen the gap to 8-0. Coix scored on a groundout by Heidi Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) before Stanley lifted a sacrifice fly to left to allow Emily Gomez to tag up and motor home.

Gordon got on the board in the top of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 8-1. Katie Dariano ran out an infield hit to drive in Emily Burkhart.

Eastern Nazarene clinched its 14th win of the spring with a run in the sixth inning, 9-1. With runners on the corners, Clements laced a base knock to center to plate Bahr from third base for the winning run.

Weidler hurled a complete game with three strikeouts and no walks in six innings of work.

The Lions capped off the series sweep with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.

The home team produced one run in the first frame to seize a 1-0 edge. Bahr dashed home on a groundout by Clements.

Eastern Nazarene doubled its advantage in the second, 2-0. Heidi Gomez roped a one-out single to the gap in left-center to drive in Payton Fry (Chandler, Ariz.) from second.

The Fighting Scots trimmed the margin to 2-1 with a run in the fourth. Emily Kline crossed the plate as Marissa Meenan reached on an error.

The Lions responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to stretch their lead to 5-1. Kelly Couite (West Bridgewater, Mass.) and Emily Gomez both came in to score as Stanley singled to right then advanced to second on an error. Jimenez scorched a single up the middle to plate Stanley from second base.

Gordon tallied one run in the fifth to pull to within three, 5-2. Rose Shannon poked a single up the middle to score Dariano.

The guests closed the gap to 5-3 in the sixth, scoring one run. Sarah Ryder tagged up and scooted home on a sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Burkhart.

Eastern Nazarene manufactures a pair of runs in the home half of the sixth to increase its advantage to 7-3. Stanley scampered around the bases and scored on an error after Jimenez put a sacrifice bunt into play. Jimenez trotted home from third on a single through the left side of the infield by Weidler.

Weidler tossed five innings in her second outing of the day and fanned four. The rookie finished with 11 innings pitched on the afternoon and seven strikeouts. Heidi Gomez worked two innings of relief to pick her first save and recorded one strikeout.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene closes out the regular season on the road at Salve Regina April 23.