Dougherty, Chabot Lead Bay Path Softball to Sweep Over Wheelock

CHESTNUT HILL, MA – Sophomore Keelin Dougherty (Northfield, NH) allowed just one run on six hits to earn a pair of victories and freshman center fielder Katherine Chabot (Brookfield, MA) knocked in five runs, including three on a home run to lead the Bay Path College softball team to a double header sweep over host Wheelock College, 14-0, 10-1, this afternoon in a New England Collegiate Conference twinbill at the Pine Manor College softball field in Chestnut Hill, MA.  Bay Path has won four straight and improves to 9-22 overall and 4-6 in league play, while Wheelock falls to 0-15 and 0-8. The games were halted after five innings of play, due to the eight-run mercy rule. 

 Chabot brought home the first three runs of the day for Bay Path with her first homer of the season in the top of the first inning of the opening contest.  Sophomore shortstop Emily Serrano (North Adams, MA) later tripled home a run and scored on a wild pitch, before sophomore left fielder Nicole Dexter (Delanson, NY) knocked in a run with a ground out to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.  Bay Path tacked on three more runs in the second when Dougherty drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on an error.  Dexter forced in the team’s ninth run of the day with a bases loaded walk.  Bay Path capped the scoring with five more runs in the third, keyed by a two-run double off the bat of sophomore catcher Mercedes Griffith (Malden, MA), a two-run single from Dexter and a run-scoring single by Serrano to give Bay Path a 14-0 advantage.

 Chabot finished the game going 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Griffith was 2-2 with two runs and two RBIs.  Dexter drove in four runs and Serrano collected two hits, including a triple and knocked in a pair of runs.  Juniors Sara Buscemi (Arlington, MA) and Kim Perault (Medford, MA) collected the only hits on singles for Wheelock.

 Dougherty picked up the two-hit shutout, allowing three walks, while striking out six for Bay Path, while Perault (0-4) took the loss for Wheelock, yielding 14 runs (12 earned) on nine hits and five walks in two and two-thirds innings of work, while fanning three batters.

 Bay Path scored the first 10 runs of the second game, including five in the first frame.  Chabot, senior first base Maeghan Whitcomb (Sheffield, VT) and Serrano all knocked in a run apiece with singles, while Griffith capped the inning with a two-run single.  Bay Path struck for three more runs in the second when freshman second base Marina Rhodes (Providence, RI) roped a leadoff triple down the right field line and scored on a Chabot double.  Two more runs later scored on an error and a wild pitch.  Bay Path plated a run each in the third and fourth innings as well, including another RBI ground-rule double off the bat of Griffith. 

 Wheelock’s lone run of the day came when senior pitcher Nicole Perullo (Revere, MA) crushed her first homer of the season over the center field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 10-1.

 Rhodes, Chabot, Serrano and Griffith all registered multiple hits in the contest for Bay Path, including a 3-3 effort from Serrano.  Griffith drove in three runs and Chabot plated two.  Perault, Perullo, senior second baseman Nichole Damata (Roslindale, MA) and junior first baseman Jacky Hull (Braintree, MA) all collected a hit apiece for Wheelock. 

 Doughtery allowed just one run on four hits and a walk, while setting down four batters on strikes to earn the win for Bay Path, while Perullo (0-4) gave up 10 runs (five earned) on 11 hits and two walks to go with three strikeouts for Wheelock.

 Wheelock will be in action again on Tuesday, April 17 when it hosts Lesley University on the PMC Softball field at 3:30 p.m. for an NECC doubleheader, while Bay Path hosts Becker College in a 3:00 p.m. twinbill on April 18.