BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman Gabrielle LaRoche (Deerfield, N.H.), sophomore Amanda Vaudreuil (Windham, N.H.), and senior Maegan Johnson (Standish, Maine) each went 3-for-4 while senior Julie Bigelow (Montpelier, Vt.) hurled a five-hit shutout as the University of New England softball team won the opener of a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader, 10-0. The Nor'Easters completed the sweep with a 6-1 win in the nightcap.
UNE plated a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run single from LaRoche. The Nor'Easters added four in the third to take a 6-0 lead, thanks to an RBI single from Johnson, a sacrifice fly from sophomore Lauren Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine), and an RBI double from senior Ashley Gott (Winterport, Maine).
Junior Megan Gauger (South Paris, Maine) delivered a three-run home run and junior Casey Brigham (New London, Conn.) drew a bases-loaded walk in a four-run fourth inning for the visitors.
Bigelow improved to 6-4 as she walked three and struck out five in the win. Gauger was 2-for-4 with three RBI, while LaRoche drove in two runs.
Freshman Sam Burgner (Dalton, Mass.) fell to 6-17 as she allowed 10 runs (seven earned) on 14 hits in four innings. Freshman Isabella Grassetti (Monson, Mass.) allowed two hits in the fifth inning. Sophomore Kelly Budzik (Fort Plain, N.Y.) paced the offense with two of the Leopards' five hits.
The Nor'Easters took a 1-0 lead in game two when Gott, who had led off with a single, eventually came around to score on a wild pitch and added four runs in the second to take a 5-0 lead. In the four-run second Johnson had an RBI double, while sophomore Kirstyn Tracey (Hope Valley, R.I.), Brigham, and junior Erin Grover (Biddefrd, Maine) each had RBI singles.
Wentworth got on the board in the home half of the second when sophomore Haylee Bacik (Lowell, Mass.) led off the inning with a home run to right center.
The game remained 5-1 until Vaudreuil, who had a one-out double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on an error.
Freshman Kelly Reid (Nantucket, Mass.) allowed one run on six hits while striking out nine to improve to 10-3. Sophomore Jessica Potter (Crown Point, N.Y.) had a pair of hits in the win.
Burgner took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on 11 hits and striking out six. Senior Randi Swihart (Gardner, Mass.) had two of Wentworth's six hits.
Winners of six in a row, the Nor'Easters (20-10, 12-4) host Nichols tomorrow in a doubleheader. Wentworth falls to 10-23 (1-15) and concludes its season Tuesday at Eastern Nazarene.
Univ. of New England 10, Wentworth 0 (04/21/12 at Boston, Mass.) (Game 1)
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Univ. of New England 204 40 - 10 16 0 (19-10, 11-4 CCC)
Wentworth........... 000 00 - 0 5 2 (10-22, 1-14 CCC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of New England - Julie Bigelow and Ashley Gott; Jessica Potter (4). Wentworth - Sam Burgner; Isabella Grassetti(5) and Liz Glavin.
Win-Julie Bigelow (6-4); Loss-Sam Burgner (6-17); T-1:25
HR UNE - Megan Gauger (2).
Univ. of New England 6, Wentworth 1 (04/21/12 at Boston, Mass.) (Game 2)
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Univ. of New England 140 000 1 - 6 11 0 (20-10, 12-4 CCC)
Wentworth........... 010 000 0 - 1 6 3 (10-23, 1-15 CCC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of New England - Kelly Reid and Jessica Potter. Wentworth - Sam Burgner and Liz Glavin.
Win-Kelly Reid (10-3); Loss-Sam Burgner (6-18); T-1:24; A-225
HR WIT - Haylee Bacik (2).
