WORCESTER -- Another doubleheader, another sweep for the WPI softball team who bested Clark University by 10-4 and 1-0 scores on Saturday afternoon at Rooftop Field to close out a perfect week on the diamond with six victories and extend the Engineers' win streak to nine games.  

Sophia Togneri (Hudson, MA) finished with a three-hit shutout in game two while Kelly Pritchard (Orange, CT) netted a four RBI outing in game one en route to the sweep.  

WPI is now 18-14 on the season and 10-4 in NEWMAC conference action while Clark dips to 5-28 in 2023 and 1-13 in conference action. 

GAME ONE 

The Engineers struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning of action. With the bases loaded and Alicia Salvalzo (Hudson, NH) up to the plate, she got nicked by a pitch to earn her 15th RBI of the year. Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) followed that up with a line shot to left that brought home another run for a quick 2-0 lead.  

Clark took the lead in the third inning with a three-spot thanks to a bases clearing double and a two-out single for a 3-2 advantage, but WPI responded in the bottom half of the frame, regaining the lead as a Pritchard single down the leftfield line brought home Salvalzo and Destiny Lum (Kahaluʻu, HI) as WPI regained a 4-3 lead. 

In the fourth, the Engineers bolstered that lead with another set of runs as Ambrosino blasted a solo shot, her fourth of the year, followed up by an Ava Laughlin (Chester Springs, PA) double to right that made it a 6-3 game.  

Some small ball grew the lead in the fourth with a Russell ground out to the pitcher bringing in Mia Francisco (Hudson, NH) from third while Ambrosino followed up with a double to left center as Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) gave WPI a five run lead.  

Clark managed to get one back in the top of the sixth, but Pritchard notched her third and fourth RBIs of the game with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame, to give WPI a 10-4 lead and the win.  

GAME TWO 

It was the Lum and Togneri show in game two as the freshman drove in the lone run of the game while the senior kept the Cougars at bay picking up her second complete game shutout of the season and her ninth win of the year.  

Sydney Russell (Arlington, VA) started the third inning off with a single to left center, moved to second on a single to left from Lindsay Ambrosino (Chelmsford, MA) and both runners moved up a bag thanks to a passed ball.  

That is when Lum came to the plate and, once again, came through for the Engineers, singling to right centerfield to score Russell for the game-deciding run in the 1-0 win.  

Togneri also once again came through for the Engineers with another outstanding performance from the mound. She pitched all seven innings, allowing just three hits in the shutout, walking two and striking out seven of the 25 batters she faced to pick up the win.  

UP NEXT

The Engineers look to keep their win-streak going with a mid-week doubleheader against Brandeis on Wednesday afternoon beginning at 3pm with some non-conference action. Clark will return to the diamond with next week's conference softball starting on Friday afternoon against Smith College, beginning at 3pm.