WORCESTER -- Powered by a high-powered offense and strong pitching, the WPI softball team swept visiting Clark University in a Friday afternoon doubleheader at Rooftop Field. The Engineers won the opener 9-0 in five innings before taking the nightcap 11-8. WPI improves to 20-11 overall and 9-5 in NEWMAC play, while Clark falls to 14-18 overall and 4-10 in conference action.
 
GAME ONE
WPI's offense came alive early and often in the opener, with freshman Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) tossing a five-hit shutout and striking out seven across five innings to earn her 12th win of the season.
 
At the plate, freshman Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. Freshman Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) added a 2-for-3 performance with a double, home run, and two runs scored, while freshman Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) belted a solo homer. Senior Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) scored twice and drove in a run, and freshman Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) collected two hits and an RBI.
 
Clark was led by Megan Dube (Leominster, MA), who allowed nine hits and seven earned runs in 3.1 innings. The Cougars scattered five hits in the game but could not break through against Boldebuck.
 
The Engineers opened the scoring in the second inning when O'Brien homered to left field to make it 1-0. Later in the frame, Ariana Kreuzer (Walpole, MA) singled home Fairbairn to extend the lead to 2-0. WPI kept the pressure on in the third, as McKinney and Fairbairn each added RBI singles before Mia Francisco (Hudson, NH) singled to center to plate another run.
 
Latour extended the lead to 6-0 with a solo homer in the fourth inning. WPI tacked on three more runs in the frame, fueled by a Fairbairn RBI single and a Jordan base hit, while a Clark fielding error allowed another run to score.
 
GAME TWO
The nightcap featured a slugfest, with WPI collecting 15 hits and using a pair of big innings to outlast Clark 11-8. Boldebuck earned her second win of the day, throwing two innings of scoreless relief to close out the victory.
 
McKinney led the way for the Engineers, going 4-for-4 with a double, two triples, three RBIs, and four runs scored. Fairbairn added three hits, including a triple, with two RBIs and a stolen base. Lum went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Latour chipped in three hits, including her second home run of the day.
 
Clark's offense was paced by Avery Della Piana (Tewksbury, MA), who went 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Megan Dube (Leominster, MA) reached base three times and scored twice.
 
After Clark plated two runs in the top of the first, WPI answered quickly. McKinney doubled home a run before Destiny Lum (Kahalu?u, HI) tied the game with a single. Fairbairn then delivered a two-run triple to center, and Kreuzer followed with a single to score Fairbairn and give WPI a 5-2 lead.
 
Clark pulled even again in the second, but WPI reclaimed the lead when Lum grounded out to drive home McKinney. WPI then pulled away in the third as McKinney tripled home two runs and scored on Lum's RBI single to push the advantage to 9-5.
 
Clark cut the deficit to 9-8 in the fourth on a combination of hits and WPI errors, but the Engineers responded again in the fifth. Latour launched a solo home run to right field, and McKinney tripled and scored on a Clark error to make it 11-8.
 
Sophomore Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) pitched three innings in relief, allowing two hits and one earned run before handing the ball to Boldebuck for the final six outs.
 
WPI next heads to Coast Guard for a key NEWMAC doubleheader on Sunday at 2:00pm. Clark returns to action Saturday at noon with a doubleheader at Springfield.