Nichols Rallies Past Softball in Pair of Extra-Inning Walk-Offs

DUDLEY, Mass. – Despite grabbing leads in the eighth innings of each respective contest, the Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team fell to the Nichols Bison by 5-4 and 12-11 scores Saturday afternoon as both games requiring an extra inning.

Wentworth slips to 19-15 (7-5 CCC) while Nichols pushes their mark to 20-16 (9-5 CCC) as the two teams have their eyes on postseason play.

GAME ONE: NICHOLS 5, WENTWORTH 4 (FINAL – 8 INNINGS)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Leopards took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as a sacrifice fly drove home a score by freshman Brianna Miller (West Haven, Conn.). The Bison matched the score in the back end of the sixth frame as a single by senior Lilly Fangel (Natick, Mass.) with two runners in scoring position drove home one.
• With each team not gaining any traction until the eighth inning, Wentworth broke the knot in the inning on a single by graduate student Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lake, N.J.) that drove home a run, marking a 2-1 score. The Leopards added to the advantage as a triple by junior Jess Rowe (Yardley, Pa.) plated two more runs, pushing the lead to 4-1.
• Nichols cut the deficit to 4-2 in the back end of the inning as an error drove home an initial score, marking a 4-2 game, before a home run by junior Chloe Steiniger (Litchfield, N.H.) plated two runs, tying the game at four aside. With a runner later on base thanks to a double, Nichols drove home the winning run on a single by sophomore Bailey Littlefield (Saco, Maine), marking a 5-4 comeback.
• Sophomore Kyla Igawa (Long Beach, Calif.) led the offense with two hits while Rowe led with two RBI. In the circle, sophomore Julie Schriver (Moscow, Pa.) struck out three batters in a complete game.

GAME TWO: NICHOLS 12, WENTWORTH 11 (FINAL – 8 INNINGS)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth sprung out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as a double by senior Annabelle Hebard (North Attleboro, Mass.) drove home a run. Nichols responded and took a 2-1 edge in the bottom as a single by junior Erin Gour (Westfield, Mass.) combined with an error drove home two runs. The Bison later extended their lead to 3-1 on a sacrifice fly.
• The Leopards rallied in the second inning as a double by Pettenger initially plated two runs, marking a 3-3 tie, before a double by Igawa and a single by Rowe drove home a run a piece, respectively, to give the Black & Gold a 5-3 lead.
• A double by Gour in the third inning plated two runs, marking a 5-4 game, before singles by Steiniger and Fangel each drove home a run apiece to give the Bison a 6-5 edge.
• Wentworth knotted the score in the fourth inning on a ground out with Pettenger scoring the run before the Bison took an 8-6 lead on a double by Steiniger followed by an error.
• The Black & Gold clawed their way back again in the sixth inning as a single by Igawa drove home a run to mark an 8-7 score before a home run by Rowe plated Igawa and gave the Leopards a 9-8 edge. A single by Steiniger drove home a run in the back half of the frame, knotting the score at nine aside.
• The visitors took a 10-9 lead in the seventh inning on a home run by junior Katie Kranz (Bedford, Mass.) before a sacrifice fly an inning later extended the lead to 11-9. Nichols rallied in the eighth, with a single plating a run to tie the score before an error gave the Bison a 12-11 win.
• Rowe led the efforts at the plate (3-4, 4 RBI) and in the circle (5.1 innings pitched, four strikeouts). Igawa (3 RBI) and Pettenger (2 RBI) also helped pace the offense.

SERIES NOTES:

• Despite today's two losses, Wentworth has won three of the last six matchups between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards continue their road trip tomorrow versus Suffolk.

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