Posted: Apr 06, 2010

Blazers Stormed Past the Wildcats in Conference Doubleheader Opener

Another Battle of the Lastowski Sisters’ Going to the Elms’ elder Kim over the Wildcats own Kellie

LONGMEADOW, Mass.- Senior outfielder Sarah Gates (Crown Point, Ind.) led the Wildcats in today’s conference season opener batting .600 with three hits, one run and one stolen base. Despite the efforts by Gates, Elms swept Bay Path 6-1 in game one and five run ruled them 12-1 in the closer going five innings.

Elms came out and scored immediately in the top of the first with the lead-off batter senior outfielder Kim Lastowski (Turners Falls, Mass.) walking. Sophomore shortstop Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass.) was next and singled through the left side. The clean-up batter freshman infielder Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) proceeded to bring both runners home to grab the first and the eventual game winner off a shot up the middle.

The Blazers scored two more runs in the second.

It took Bay Path until the bottom of the fourth to break-up the shut-out. Gates started off with a hit to shortstop. Senior infielder Sam Gunseth (Swanzey, N.H.) proceeded to move Gates to second with a hard shot to third base. Junior infielder Jess Priestly (Middleboro, Mass.) nailed a sac fly out to centerfield to bring Gates home.

Elms scored another run in the fifth and a final insurance run in the seventh. Lipscomb went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Lastowski had three runs and one hit. Buckley also had two hits, two RBI and one run.

Elms’ sophomore hurler Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) went the distance allowing six hits and one run. She had seven strike-outs and one hit-by-pitch. Hampton (3-4) who went 12.0 innings notched both victories on the day.

Senior southpaw Jess Nizinski (West Springfield, Mass.) suffered the loss giving up six runs, four earned, off of nine hits. Nizinski (5-6) walked three and struck out two for her seven innings of work.

In the game two, Gates and freshman pitcher Ashley Provost (Ludlow, Mass.) were the only Wildcats to hit in the nightcap. Provost scored the lone run in the third breaking up the shut-out after a triple shot in deep right field. After a bad throw to third, Provost scored on her own at bat.

Again Elms came out of the gate strong scoring three runs in the first. The proceeded to tally two more runs in the second and one in the fourth. Their break-out inning came in the fifth were they scored six runs to enact the eight-run mercy rule on Bay Path.

Buckley started the Blazers single shot up the middle. Sophomore infielder Kelly Callahan (Monson, Mass.) moved Buckley to third on a shot through the left side. Buckley scored on a throwing error. Hampton and freshman designated player Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) strung together two more effective bunts to sophomore pinch runner Amanda Alvarado (Springfield, Mass.).

Provost then began a walk-fest and Lastowski brought Butt and Hampton home on single shot through the right side.

Hampton picked up win number two going five innings giving up one run on two hits. Provost (4-3) took the loss allowing 12 runs on 11 hits, only eight runs earned.

Elms finished 4-11 and 2-0 in New England Collegiate Conference play. Bay Path falls to .500 a 9-9 overall and 0-2 in conference action.

Bay Path will be back in action on Thursday, April 8^th hosting MCLA at 3:00 p.m.

GAME ONE

Elms 6, Bay Path 1 (04/06/10 at Longmeadow, Mass.) (Game 1)

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Elms................ 220 010 1 - 6 9 0 (3-11, 1-0 NECC)

Bay Path............ 000 100 0 - 1 6 1 (9-8, 0-1 NECC)

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Pitchers: Elms - Courtney Hampton and Tiffany Williams. Bay Path - Jess Nizinski and

Kellie Lastowski.

Win-Courtney Hampton(2-4) Loss-Jess Nizinski(5-6) T-2:00 A-137

Weather: Nice, 73 degrees