Softball 4/25/2011 12:00:00 AM

Flaherty's No-Hitter and McDonough's Homers Lift Softball to Sweep of Becker

Worcester, MA --- Erin Flaherty (Stoughton, MA) hurled her first collegiate no-hitter and Nicole McDonough (Abington, MA) homered in both ends of the doubleheader to propel host WPI to a pair of victories Monday afternoon over Becker in a non-conference softball twinbill. The Engineers won the opener 8-0 behind Flaherty's performance before taking the nightcap 15-2.

With the sweep, WPI sees its season come to an end with a 21-18 record. It's just the third time in program history that the Engineers reached the 20-win mark and first since 2006 while the 21 victories are the second most in school history trailing only the 2006 squad that finished 23-14.

Becker slips to 12-18 on the year. The Hawks, who are fighting for a home game in next week's NECC Tournament, are back in action tomorrow with a key home conference doubleheader with Daniel Webster. Becker currently sports an 8-4 conference ledger, tied for third with Mitchell, while Daniel Webster is 4-4. The third and fourth seeds host first round single elimination games while the two seeds received byes to the double elimination portion of the tournament.

Flaherty struck out a career-high nine batters in the no-hitter and finishes the season 10-8. Erin Beaulieu (Bethany, CT) and Katherine Goldberg (Plainville, MA) each saw time behind the plate for the Engineers. The no-hitter was the first for WPI since April 4, 2005 in which the Crimson and Gray accomplished the feat in both ends of a doubleheader at the Class of 1893 field against Wheelock. On that day Meghan Kelly (Burlington, MA) struck out 13 in the opener while game two was a combined effort by Jennifer Parker (Rochester, MA) and Heather Hassett (Oxford, MA).

Juliana Fekete (Belgrade, ME) launched a two-run homer to put the Engineers on the board in the bottom of the first of the opener.

Sarah Johnson (Eastham, MA) used a run-producing single to drive in the first run of the fourth inning. Allie Roche (Chelmsford, MA) cleared the bases with a 3-RBI double to push the game to 6-0.

WPI tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth as Lauren DiFelice (Acushnet, MA) hit a solo home run to left field. McDonough led off the sixth with a blast for center field to increase the lead to 8-0 and end the contest.

Paige Needham (Worcester, MA) (10-9) allowed the first two runs on four hits in one inning of work. Jessica Lewis (Bellingham, MA) tossed the balance of the contest scattering six runs on seven hits.

DiFelice batted 3-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored to lead the Crimson and Gray. Roche went 2-for-3 with three RBI and McDonough went 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored.

In the nightcap, Becker jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Felicia Laufer (Salem, CT) led off the game with a single and proceeded to steal second base and Larissa Paula (Lynn, MA) hit safely to center field and also stole second. With both runners in scoring position and two outs, a dropped fly ball allowed Lindsay Hanna (Portland, ME) to reach base and both runs to cross home plate.

The hosts answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Beaulieu doubled to left to drive home a run and would score on a single by Kim Martilla (Kings Park, NY).

WPI crossed home plate six times in the second inning. Roche singled to allow a pair of runs to score. McDonough's home run would bring in Roche as a triple by DiFelice brought in another run. A Hawk miscue enabled the final run to score.

Before the six-run fourth inning, the Engineers added a run following a Hawk error. Consecutive doubles by Katrina Boynton (Ballston Lake, NY) and Maddie Willer (Penfield, NY) accounted for three RBI. Roche singled for the fourth run of the stanza, while Beaulieu capped off the scoring with a 2-RBI double.

WPI pitcher Christa Coscia (Lakeville, MA) allowed two runs on six hits and fanned a career-best seven batters to end the season 6-6.

Lewis added four innings to her workload and dipped to 2-7.

McDonough hit 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a home run. The freshman ends the season with 12 round trippers and breaks the school record held by Nicole Maglione (Charlton, MA) who launched 10 in 2007.

Joining McDonough in the Engineer two-hit column were Beaulieu, Martilla, Johnson, Willer and Roche. Laufer and Paula each notched a pair of hits for Becker.

With 39 games played this season, Beaulieu, Johnson and McDonough all tied the school record set by Maglione and Sara Migdal (Hagaman, NY) in 2009.

Story by Mark Therrien - WPI Athletics