Softball Splits First of Two Weekend Doubleheaders with Franklin Pierce Saturday
Links: Box Score (Game 1 | Game 2)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. –The Merrimack College softball team split the first of two doubleheaders this weekend with Franklin Pierce on Saturday afternoon, falling in game one 3-1 but responding with a 7-3 win in game two in Northeast-10 Conference divisional play.
The Basics
Score (G1): Franklin Pierce 3, Merrimack 1
Score (G2): Merrimack 7, Franklin Pierce 3
Records: Merrimack (18-22, 10-10 NE-10) | Franklin Pierce (10-17, 6-9 NE-10)
Location: Warrior Softball Diamond | North Andover, Massachusetts
How It Happened (G1)
The low score in game one on Saturday can be attributed to quality pitching performances from both teams' starters on the mound. Neither side would muster a run until the fifth inning as both sides combined for just six hits through the first four innings. Junior captain Haley Currie (Burlington, Mass.) would allow just four hits while striking out three through the first four scoreless innings.
Franklin Pierce struck first in the top of the fifth inning, registering back-to-back doubles to take a 1-0 lead before Currie recorded two straight outs to get out of the inning. After a three-up, three-down inning for the Warriors in the bottom of the fifth brought the Ravens back to the plate in the sixth, where they extended their lead to 2-0 on a close play at the plate on a bases-loaded infield grounder that would be called in their favor. Currie would proceed to then record two straight outs with three runners on base behind her to escape the inning, including an inning-ending bases-loaded strikeout that gave Merrimack a spark of energy.
Currie would carry the momentum of her inning-ending strikeout into the bottom of the inning, as the junior captain led off the inning with a solo shot to left center to cut the deficit in half and attempt to get a late rally going for Merrimack. Junior Tamarra Crowe (North Bend, Wash.) would add a single in the inning, but it would be the only other base runner for the Warriors in the sixth.
Franklin Pierce's power source in Erin Wood would hit a solo homer of her own in the seventh to get the Ravens' lead back to two at 3-1 with one at-bat remaining for the Warriors. Merrimack would be unable to respond in their final at-bat as they fell by two runs in game one.
How It Happened (G2)
Knowing a two-game sweep from Franklin Pierce on Saturday would be very detrimental to their playoff chase, the Warriors took an early lead in game two as a leadoff double from junior captain Samantha Waskowitz (Killingworth, Conn.) would be rewarded on an RBI single up the middle from freshman and reigning NE-10 Rookie of the Week in Caitlin McBride (Danvers, Mass.), scoring Waskowitz.
That 1-0 lead for Merrimack would remain stagnant up until the fourth inning when a leadoff double from Crowe would result in a run thanks to an RBI double scoring from sophomore Megan Cook (Bellingham, Mass.) two batters later, who then scored on a throwing error on the next batter to make it 3-0 Warriors. Cook also started the game on the mound for Merrimack and pitched lights-out in the early innings of the game, allow just two hits through the first four innings.
Cook's shutout would be broken up in the top of the fifth inning as Erin Wood hit her second home run of the day and team-leading fifth on the season for Franklin Pierce, scoring three runs to tie the game up at 3-3. Cook would bear down and get the next two batters out to escape the inning.
Merrimack promptly responded to Franklin Pierce tying the game in the top of the fifth with a three-hit, four-run bottom of the inning to go back out in front 7-3 thanks to a big inning from a trio of the Warriors' rookies. Freshman Hannah Johnson (Middleboro, Mass.) led the inning off with a single followed by a single from Currie for two runners on. Fellow freshman McBride put a ball in play that would end up scoring Johnson to retake the 4-3 lead. Two batters later, freshman Emily Kurkul (Bridgewater, Mass.) would crush her third homer of the season to deep right center, answering the Ravens' home run with a three-run shot of her own to put her squad up by four runs, where Cook would hold the score until the end of the game.
Inside The Numbers
- The Warriors are now an even 8-8 in the NE-10 Northeast Division and still sit in fifth place, one position out of a playoff spot. They currently sit just a half game behind Bentley, who is in fourth with an 8-7 record.
- Cook's final pitching line (G2 - W): 7.0 IP, 4H, 3R, 2BB, 5K. Cook was also 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI to help her own cause.
- Currie's hit streak watch: With a homer in game on and two hits in game two, Currie extended her hitting streak to an impressive 16 games. She currently holds the team-lead in batting average (.373) and home runs (5) and is tied for the team-lead in RBI (19) and hits (41).
Up Next
The Warriors return to Warrior Diamond tomorrow for another doubleheader with Franklin Pierce to conclude the season series, with game one counting towards the divisional standings.
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