WESTON, Mass. - Regis College stayed with Wentworth in a non-conference collegiate softball doubleheader Wednesday night, but the Leopards were able to prevail in both games, 4-3 and 7-3, at the Regis Softball Field.
Game One - Wentworth 4, Regis 3
Wentworth (23-5) jumped on top in the first inning as Kaitlin Pettenger led off with a triple and scored on a single by Briana Beverly. Alexandra Pina followed with a single landing just inside the left field line, but Regis starter Colby Butterfield (Gilford, N.H.) retired the next three Leopard batters in order to prevent any further damage.
In the bottom of the second, Ciara Collins (Lynn, Mass.) led off with a single, advanced to second on a groundout, and came around to score on a double by Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.). Zancan stole third base to improve the Pride's scoring opportunity, but Wentworth starter Erin Hancock struck out the next two hitters to keep the game tied at 1-1.
The Leopards put together four straight hits in the top of the third inning, including an RBI single by Kyla Igawa and an RBI double from Jess Rowe, plus Hancock drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to increase the Wentworth lead to 4-1. The Pride closed to within two runs when Diana Petrarca (Coventry, R.I.) led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a home run over the fence in left field.
Alyssa Ward (Webster, Mass.) came on in relief of Butterfield in the top of the fourth inning and allowed just three hits in four innings of work to keep the game close. Petrarca led off the sixth inning with a double, but Hancock collected two strikeouts to stop the Regis scoring opportunity.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bri Page (New Boston, N.H.) led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Alex Page (New Boston, N.H.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to send pinch runner Jaylene Deslauriers (Taunton, Mass.) to third base. Lexi Nichols (Granby, Conn.) followed with a double to right-center field that scored Deslauriers, but the combination of Pina to Rowe to Julia Bollentin created the second out, and Hancock was able to close out the game in Wentworth's favor.
Hancock earned her 11th victory of the season as she struck out seven batters while allowing seven hits and three runs. Butterfield took the loss after giving up eight hits and four runs in three innings.
Game Two - Wentworth 7, Regis 3
Petrarca hit her third home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning to put the Pride ahead, 1-0. The Leopards answered with two outs in the second inning as Rowe doubled to left-center field and scored on a single up the middle by Katie Kranz.
The game would remain tied until the fifth inning when Beverly doubled, Pina followed with a single, and Bollentin hit a shot past the left side of the infield to score Beverly. Wentworth earned four more runs thanks in large part to three Regis errors.
The Pride loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth on singles by Nichols and Bianca Burke (Cambridge, Mass.), followed by Andria Braga (Rehoboth, Mass.) reaching base on a Wentworth error. Nichols would score on a sacrifice fly to center field by Petrarca that advanced all three Regis runners, and Burke would dash home on a wild pitch to bring the Pride within three runs at 6-3.
Wentworth loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning, with Kranz driving in Beverly on an infield single. Leopard pitcher Julie Schriver would retire the Pride in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to complete the doubleheader sweep, earning her 11th win of the season.
Ward started the second game and pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs, three of them unearned. Sofia Vitale (Winthrop, Mass.) came on in relief for the final 2 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, two walks, and one run while striking out two batters.
Regis (10-18) hosts Emmanuel College in a non-conference doubleheader Thursday, April 20, starting at 5 p.m.