WORCESTER -- The WPI softball team opened its Rooftop Field season with a doubleheader sweep of cross-town foe Worcester State on Thursday afternoon. 
 
The Engineers (8-4) took game one by a score of 7-4, before shutting out the Lancers (7-6) 7-0 in game two. 
 
Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) earned the game one win, stepping into the game in relief of starting pitcher Sofia Knopf (Plymouth, MA). Knopf allowed just three runs and five hits through the first three innings of action, striking out two before Boldebuck closed things out and earned her fourth win of the season. Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) picked up the first half of the game two shutout, pitching 4.1 innings of action, and allowing five hits while striking out three before Boldebuck came in and shut things down over the last 2.2 innings, also picking up a trio of Ks. 
 
On the offensive front, six different Engineers picked up a hit in the first game of the day with seven different WPI batters collecting a hit in game two. Colleen Mayer (Hillsborough, NJ) went 2-for-3 in both outings with an RBI and a run scored in each game. 
 
GAME ONE 
The Lancers were the first to get on the board, putting up three runs in the top of the third inning via three hits. WPI answered back in the bottom half of the frame behind an inside the park homerun from Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, MA). 
 
The Engineers evened the score in the fourth behind a pair of two-out runs. Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) started things off with a walk, stealing second and coming around to score on a triple down the rightfield line by Ariana Kreuzer (Walpole, MA). One batter later, Kreuzer came home on a single to left by Mayer to even the score at three-all. 
 
Worcester State regained the lead in the fifth, but WPI poured on the runs in the sixth inning when Destiny Lum (Kahalu'u, HI) and Nagy ripped back-to-back homers to claim a 5-4 lead. Kreuzer followed with a walk and was replaced on the basepaths by Suzannah Figler (Baltimore, MD) who moved right up to third base after a double from Mayer. 
 
With two outs on the board Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) ripped a double to left center bringing home the sixth and seventh runs of the game and giving the Engineers a 7-4 advantage. Boldebuck sat down the Lancers 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to claim the victory.
 
GAME TWO 
The scoring got going once again in the third inning of action, this time when the Engineers put up a three-spot. Jordan and Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) started things off with back-to-back bunt singles to put runners on first and second. A fly out to left put two outs on the board, but runners on second and third and the Engineers took advantage of a fielding error by the Lancer left fielder to score a pair of runs. 
 
After the error and a walk, Nagy came around to score on a single to center by Meyer to make it a 3-0 game. 
 
In the fourth, the Engineers added another run as Sherwood started things off doubling to left center and on a Jordan walk, Sherwood stole third prompting a pitching change. A sacrifice fly from McKinney to left field brought home Sherwood and gave WPI a 4-0 lead. 
 
In the fifth, Mayer singled to left center, moved up to second and came home on a Kreuzer single to right center. Kreuzer moved up to second on the throw home and pinch runner Figler came around to score, as WPI capitalized on another Worcester State miscue for the 6-0 lead. 
 
In the sixth, WPI added an insurance run, and another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh sealed the deal and the doubleheader sweep. 
 
UP NEXT 
The Engineers will continue their homestand on Friday, March 28 with a doubleheader against MIT in the team's conference opener beginning at 3:30 pm. The games were originally scheduled for Saturday but were moved up a day due to predicted inclement weather. Worcester State will be back in action against MCLA on Saturday, March 29 beginning at Noon.