BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Softball team earned its first doubleheader sweep of the season Friday afternoon with a 4-2 win over Gordon College followed by a 10-2, 6-inning victory.
The Hawks have now won three of their last four games and improve to 7-12 overall and 4-2 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Gordon drops to 4-12 and 2-4 in the CCC.
In the opener, Roger Williams got on the board first in the second inning. Julia Giancola (Durham, Conn.) reached on a one-out single and moved to second on a passed ball. Erica Castro (Medford, N.Y.) brought her in with an RBI single to left to put RWU up 1-0.
Gordon responded in the following inning with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Rachel Ryder (Telford, Pa.) came in on a sacrifice fly by Kerry McPartlan (Yonkers, N.Y.), followed by an RBI single by Liz Cheesman (Winslow, Maine) later in the inning.
The Hawks were held in check over the next four innings until a sixth-inning rally helped push the team forward. With one out, Giancola, Lauren Tierney (Middleboro, Mass.), and Alana Peoples (Scarborough, Maine) all reached base to load the bases. Castro would then bring all three home with a three-RBI double that was nearly corralled by Kendall Burkuras (North Falmouth, Mass.) on an admirable diving attempt. The ball trickled out of her glove as she landed on the ground, allowing the runs to score. Those runs would prove to be the difference in the game as the Hawks escaped with the win.
Jaclyn Doolin (Miller Place, N.Y.) earned the win, going the distance while giving up two unearned runs. Castro finished 3-for-4 with four RBI, while Giancola was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.
Skylar Bareford (Stonington, Conn.) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings. Cheesman was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI, with Ryder adding two hits and a run scored.
In the nightcap, the Hawks did most of the damage in the first inning, sending ten batters to the plate and scoring five runs in the frame. Castro led off with a homer to left on the second pitch of the game to get things started. Caroline Atkinson (Milford, Mass.) capped off the rally with a two-RBI single.
RWU added one run in each of the third and fourth innings before Gordon was able to get on the board. Cheesman led off the fifth with a home run to left field for the first Scots run. Rachel Otto (Plymouth, N.H.) later scored Claire Bennett (Mumford, N.Y.) with an RBI single.
The Hawks got both runs back in the bottom of the inning on RBI hits by Castro and Tierney. Kaitlyn Costa (Cranston, R.I.) notched the game-winning hit in the sixth to give RWU the shortened win.
Kara Lewis (Taunton, Mass.) grabbed the win, giving up two runs and striking out five in six innings of work. Tierney was 4-for-4 with a run and two RBI while Molly Petrone (Northborough, Mass.) was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Hannah Lawrence (Somerset, Mass.) took the loss, tagged for seven runs (four earned) in four innings. Cheesman was 2-for-3 with a home, while Otto contributed a hit and an RBI.
Roger Williams travels to Nichols on Sunday, while Gordon hosts UMaine-Presque Isle on Saturday.
