BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Softball team resumed its halted Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader from Sunday afternoon against Western New England and came away with a 3-1 win in the opener, followed by a 2-6 loss.
With the split, Roger Williams closes out the conference season with a 11-7 record (17-20 overall) and clinches the #4 seed for the upcoming CCC Tournament. Western New England now stands at 8-8 in the CCC (14-20 overall) and sits in sixth place with one more conference doubleheader to play.
The game originally began on Sunday, with Roger Williams seniors Stacy Broughton (Newtown, Conn.), Erica Castro (Medford, N.Y.), Jaclyn Doolin (Miller Place, N.Y.), Kara Lewis (Taunton, Mass.), and Hannah Pirez (Bolton, Mass.) honored prior to the game. Western New England grabbed a quick 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Grace Kucharski (Avon, Conn.) in the top of the first.
RWU came back with two in bottom of the third on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch by Lauren Tierney (Middleboro, Mass.) and a bases-loaded walk by Doolin. At that point, the rain came down hard, forcing the contest to be suspended until Tuesday. Upon resumption on play, WNE was able to get out of the jam allowing only the two runs in the inning.
Tierney picked up another run for the Hawks in the fifth inning on a solo home run for her team-leading fifth dinger of the year. The two-run lead held up for the Hawks, though the Golden Bears made a late rally in the seventh, getting runners at first and second with one out. The Hawks were able to induce a pair of groundouts for the win.
Doolin earned her tenth win of the season, going the distance with one run allowed on six hits with four strikeouts. Tierney was 1-for-1 with a pair of RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored on the homer, while Pirez added a hit and a run scored.
Sarah Lempicki (Southington, Conn.) took the loss, giving up three runs (one earned) in six innings on five hits and six walks with five Ks. Maria Francese (Hinsdale, Mass.) was 1-for-3 with a run, while Kucharski went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
In the second game, Rachel Wyrwa (Methuen, Mass.) helped stake the Golden Bears to a quick 2-0 lead with a two-RBI double to score Kucharski and Lempicki in the first. Caroline Atkinson (Milford, Mass.) answered for the Hawks in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot to left field, her first collegiate home run.
In the fourth, Western New England took advantage of back-to-back Hawk errors to lead off the inning, ultimately scoring four runs in the frame to grab a 6-2 lead. Francese and Jocelyn Agnelli (Winchendon, Mass.) each picked up RBI hits for the Golden Bears in the inning.
The four-run lead for Western New England would be more than enough, as the Hawks went scoreless over the final six innings to give WNE the win.
Alyssa Obin (Plymouth, Mass.) struck out five while allowing two runs in seven innings for the win. Francese finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Wyrwa was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run.
Kelly Marcin (Windsor Locks, Conn.) took the loss, allowing four unearned runs in 2.1 innings of work. Broughton allowed only one hit over the final 3.2 innings and struck out the side in the fifth en route to five Ks. Kaitlyn Costa (Cranston, R.I.) was 2-for-4 with a run, while Pirez and Julia Giancola (Durham, Conn.) each went 2-for-3.
Both teams close out the regular season tomorrow, with the Hawks hosting Wheaton College and Western New England taking on Endicott College.
