Softball Swaps League Victories at Wentworth Monday

BOSTON, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College softball team salvaged a conference doubleheader split at Wentworth on Patriots Day Monday, winning 9-0 in six innings after dropping a marathon contest 4-3 in game one.

The Lions move to 16-13 on the year, matching the program's highest single-season win total for the second year in a row, while reaching 5-9 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Leopards progress to 1-18 overall and 1-11 in conference play with the results.

Heidi Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) paced the visitors with four hits, three RBIs, and a pair of runs scored on the day. Kayleen Garrick (Sparks, Nev.) finished with three base knocks, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Kori Bow (Shaftsbury, Vt.), Viviana Coix (Warrenville, Ill.), Emily Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.), and Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) all notched three hits in the series.

In game one, Wentworth walked-off with its first win of the season in extra-innings.

The hosts claimed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Megan Berryman doubled to left-centerfield to drive in Rachel Willcutt and Vanessa Weymouth.

Eastern Nazarene got on the board in the top of the second, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Garrick roped a two-out double to center to plate Bow from second base.

The Lions leveled the contest at 2-2, scoring once in the third frame. Coix crossed dish as Emily Gomez poked a single to right.

The guests grabbed their first lead of the day with a run in the top of the eighth. Heidi Gomez blasted her first career home run over the fence in left-centerfield.

The Leopards responded with a score in the home half of the eighth to knot the game at 3-3. Berryman picked up her third RBI of the afternoon with a double to knock in Willcutt.

Wentworth tallied the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Rebecca Wehrle drove in Emily Winter from third with a single to left.

Heidi Gomez pitched 7.1 innings and recorded six strikeouts before Elisabeth Schaffer (Benton, Pa.) tossed one inning of relief and collected one strikeout.

In the nightcap, Eastern Nazarene bounced back to prevail 9-0 in six innings.

The Lions chalked up a run in the top of the first to establish a 1-0 edge. Garrick scampered home on a wild pitch with two outs in the frame.

The visitors tacked on a run in the third to double their advantage to 2-0. Lauren Clements (Garrison, Texas) drew a bases-loaded walk to collect her team-leading 25th RBI of the spring as Tylan Onorato (Wiscassett, Maine) crossed the dish.

Eastern Nazarene produced three runs in the fourth to widen the gap to 5-0. Heidi Gomez raked a single to left to plate Bow. Garrick scorched a single to center to drive in Heidi Gomez from second before rounding the bases and scoring as Coix reached on an error.

The Lions added a run in the fifth to stretch their lead to 6-0. Heidi Gomez knocked in her second RBI of the game, plating Clements from third base as she reached on a fielder's choice.

The guests scored three times in the sixth to expand the margin to 9-0 as Weidler, Schaffer, and Bow all registered RBIs in the inning.

Schaffer hurled a one-hitter and fanned eight while allowing zero walks in her 12th start of the season.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene returns home to host Elms April 18 in a non-conference twinbill.