Softball Slugs Past Newbury in Non-Conference Twinbill

BROOKLINE, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene College softball team overpowered Newbury to post a pair of non-league wins Monday, prevailing 14-0 and 13-9.

The Lions climb to 26-10 on the year with the results while the Nighthawks flutter to 11-17 overall.

Rebecca Ashman (Havre de Grace, Md.) racked up six RBIs, five base hits, and three runs scored on the day. Dominique Santos (Lancaster, Calif.) finished with five base knocks, five runs scored, four RBIs, and a pair of stolen base. Heidi Gomez (Floral Park, N.Y.) notched five hits, four RBIs, and three runs. Kori Bow (Shaftsbury, Vt.) registered four base hits and crossed the dish four times. Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) chipped in with three hits, four RBIs, and four runs scored.

In game one, Eastern Nazarene cruised to a 14-0 victory in five innings behind 15 hits and a one-hit shutout by Elisabeth Schaffer (Benton, Pa.) in the pitcher's circle.

The visitors exploded for six runs out of the gate to claim a 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Weidler launched her sixth home run of the season to drive in Santos from second base. Lauren Clements (Garrison, Texas) crossed the dish as Heidi Gomez reached on a fielder's choice. Ashman followed with an RBI double to left-centerfield to plate Bow. Schaffer roped a two-run double to left to score Ashman and Heidi Gomez.

The Lions added a run in the second to extend their advantage to 7-0. Heidi Gomez laced a double to left field to knock in Bow from third base.

Eastern Nazarene manufactured five runs in the third to widen the gap to 12-0. Santos smacked her third homer of the season with one out in the frame, a solo shot to left field. Clements crushed her team-leading eighth home run of the year to drive in Weidler. Heidi Gomez collected her second RBI of the game as she raked a double to center to plate Bow. Ashman hammered a double to left-center to knock in Heidi Gomez from second.

The Lions plated a pair of runs in the fourth to stretch the margin to 14-0. With the bases loaded, Meghan Stanley (Bedford, Mass.) scorched a single up the middle to drive in Rebecca Hayner (Halfmoon, N.Y.) and Santos.

Schaffer tossed her 15th complete game and finished with 12 strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk to improve to 15-4 in the circle.

In the second tilt, Eastern Nazarene used a 10-run fifth inning to erase a seven-run deficit en route to a 13-9 win.

The Nighthawks grabbed an early 2-0 edge with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alexis Vieira and Averi Johnson notched back-to-back RBI base knocks as Samantha Libby and Arianna Gooden crossed the dish.

The hosts lifted their lead to 5-0 with three runs in the third. Noelle Sass belted a two-run homer to score Libby before Johnson doubled to center to plate Gooden from second base.

Newbury tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth inning to widen the margin to 7-0. Alina Milauskas doubled to center to drive in Tina Babcock from first before Sass scored on an error after she slapped a triple.

Eastern Nazarene rallied to claim a 10-7 edge with 10 runs in the fifth. Santos laced a single to left to knock in Hayner from third. Ashman clobbered her first collegiate home run, a grand slam to left field that scored Viviana Coix (Warrenville, Ill.), Stanley, and Santos. With the bases reloaded in in the inning, Heidi Gomez poked a single to left to drive in Olivia Warren (Webster, N.Y.) and Weidler. Coix landed her second single of the frame to plate Bow. Santos roped a two-out base hit to left to knock in Heidi Gomez and Coix.

The Lions chalked up one run in the sixth inning to expand their lead to 11-7. Hayner flared a single to right field to score Weidler.

The Nighthawks plate a run in the home half of the sixth to cut the deficit to 11-8 as Sass launched her second home run of the game.

The visitors produced two runs in the seventh to stretch the margin to 13-8. With two runners in scoring position, Weidler raked a double down the left field line to drive in Ashman and Santos.

Newbury scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull to within four, 13-9, as Hannah Besaw belted a solo homer.

Heidi Gomez threw 3.2 innings and fanned three in her 11th start of the year. Stanley worked 3.1 innings of relief in her first pitching appearance of the season to pick up the win.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene closes out the regular season on the road at non-conference foe Elms April 25.