Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WORCESTER -- A pair of walk-off hits resulted in a sweep of Smith for the WPI softball team on Friday at Rooftop Field as the Engineers closed out their five-game homestand and improved to 5-5 in conference play.
 
The first victory took just five innings for WPI (15-10, 5-5 NEWMAC) as Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) delivered the game-winner in the bottom of the fifth en route to the 10-2, run rule victory over the Pioneers (5-20, 1-9). 
 
In game two, the Engineers battled, forcing extra innings in the bottom of the seventh as Lucy Latour's (North Dighton, MA) speed resulted in the game-tying run. After Sofia Knopf (Plymouth, MA) forced the Pioneers into an inning-ending double-play, the Engineers took advantage of the international run rule. After pinch hitter Mia Francisco (Hudson, NH) started things off with a walk, Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners and Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, MA) drove in the game-winner as WPI came away with the sweep.
 
Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) earned her ninth victory of the season with another complete game. Boldebuck allowed just five hits and the pair of runs and struck out two in the outing. In game two, Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) got the start, pitching the first two innings of action before Knopf stepped in to pitch the final six innings of action and pick up her third win of the season allowing just two earned runs and three hits, while striking out two. 
 
Four different Engineers ended the first game of the day with a pair of hits led by McKinney and Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) who both finished with 2-for-3 outings, each driving in a pair of runs and scoring a run. In the second game of the day, Destiny Lum (Kahalu'u, HI) added a pair of hits and drove in another three RBIs while scoring one of her own while Latour finished with a 2-for-4 outing from the leadoff spot scoring a pair of runs. 
 
GAME ONE
It took just five innings to earn the game one victory for the Engineers. Despite Smith putting a run on the board in the top of the first, McKinney singled to get things going, moving up to third on a Lum double and both runners came around to score on a double to left center from Fairbairn to gain a 2-1 lead. 
 
Smith evened the score in the top of the second, but once again WPI regained the lead, one it would not relinquish, with one swing of the bat from Sherwood who blasted a two-run shot to left center for the 4-2 advantage. 
 
In the third, Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) started things off with a solo shot to left and in the fourth inning, McKinney grounded out to second, which drove in Sherwood who reached on a Pioneer error and raced around the bases to get herself into scoring position to help WPI to a 6-2 lead. 
 
WPI piled on the runs in the fifth inning. Fairbairn kicked things off with a double to left center and moved up to third on an Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) single to the pitcher. Nagy stole second and Jordan loaded the bases on a bunt single. 
 
Back-to-back fielding errors allowed a trio of Engineer runs across and a sacrifice fly to rightfield from McKinney would put the walkoff run to cross home plate for the 10-2 victory. 
 
GAME TWO
Smith got on the board first for the second-straight game, putting a run up in the first innings and another pair of runs in the second to claim an early 3-0 lead. A solo shot in the top of the third gave the Pioneers a 4-0 advantage, but in the bottom half of the frame, the Engineers were able to load the bases setting Lum up for her bases clearing double to left center to cut Smith's lead to just one, 4-3. 
 
Lum moved up to third on a passed ball and crossed home plate to even things up at four-apiece on a O'Brien double to left center. 
 
In the fourth inning, Smith played some small ball to regain a 5-4 lead, which the Pioneers were able to cling to until the bottom of the seventh when the Latour heroics happened to force extras. Latour started the inning off with a bunt single, moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt from McKinney. The speedster stole third base and then, on a wild pitch, nabbed home to even things up at 5-5 to force extras and ultimately earn the WPI win. 
 
UP NEXT 
WPI will be right back at it with a pair of games on the road at Salve Regina on Saturday, April 19 beginning at noon. Smith will look to bounce back also on Saturday, April 19 when the Pioneers faceoff against NEWMAC foe Clark in another doubleheader in Worcester also beginning at noon.