Wildcats fall to Leopards in Regional Softball Action

LONGMEADOW, Mass.-  Bay Path suffered a  9-4 and 20-14 loss in NCAA Division III softball action to the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology today. Wentworth is now 4-18 overall while Bay Path is 4-15 overall. Wentworth was led by freshman infielder Megan Berryman (Middleboro, Mass.) who went 5-for-10 on the day with four runs and eight RBI. Berryman tallied two triples and a double. Bay Path's freshman shortstop Lauren Vallee (Bristol, Conn.) topped the Wildcats going 4-for-7 with four runs and six RBI. Vallee hit two doubles and one home run.

In the first game, the Wildcats scored first in the bottom of the second when junior centerfielder Paige Marshall (Hartford, Conn.) took advantage of a Wentworth error and tallied the first run. Wentworth came back and scored two in the third. Freshman Vanessa Weymouth (Fremont, N.H.) knotted the score off a junior infielder Karsyn Sawyer (Chatham, N.Y.) tripled off a shot two deep right field. Sawyer would score the second run taking the lead.

The Leopards would score seven more in the next two innings going ahead 9-1. The Wildcats needed to score in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game going. Bay Path managed to score three more runs giving them a new hope. Vallee launched a three run homer over the right field wall bringing junior outfielder Casey Botehlo (Providence, R.I.) and sophomore utility player Gretchen Hale (Naugatuck, Conn.) along for the ride.

Despite the late rally, the Wildcats were unable to score any more runs and both teams went the final two innings without any runs. Wentworth's junior starter Heather Pinkston (Concord, Calif.) hurled five innings giving up four runs on five hits, fanning three and walking two for her efforts notching the victory.  The Wildcats' freshman pitcher Sarah Paskiewicz (Ansonia, Conn.) hurled the full seven innings allowing 16 hits and nine runs, six earned. She struck out one and walked two for her loss.

The Leopards were led by senior shortstop Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass) going 4-for-5 with two runs and 1 RBI.

Wentworth took the nightcap 20-14 after again jumping ahead early, scoring 13 runs to the Wildcats four once again almost notching run rule. Bay Path rallied again in the bottom of the fifth score five runs to add more innings.

Marshall again doubled sending junior catcher Anna Meyer (Millbrook, N.Y.) home to start the inning. Junior Wildcat pitcher Maria Carta (Middletown, Conn.) would then single to center field sending Marshall home.  Junior Melinda Metzger (Uxbridge, Mass.), senior utility Marina Rhodes (Providence, R.I.) .Hale and Botehlo would round off the scoring.

Wentworth answered back in the top of the sixth taking advantage of some Wildcat errors scoring six more.  In the bottom of the sixth, Wentworth returned the favor with errors of their own allowing three more Bay Path runs to score.

The Leopards score one final run in the seventh before stifling Bay Path in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior pitcher Siobhan Baker (South Portland, Maine) gave up ten runs on seven hits, She walked seven and  fanned three batters. Coming in for relief Curran went 2.2 innings allowing four runs on six hits. She struck out three. Carta suffered the loss giving up 18 hits and 20 runs, eight earned. She walked six while striking out two for the night cap.

Bay Path is back in action on Saturday, April 18^th hosting Regis in another NECC match-up starting at 1:00 p.m. Wentworth travels to play their CCC game against Nichols on Saturday with the first pitch at noon.