Kissimmee, FL --- The WPI softball team extended its unbeaten start with a pair of wins on Wednesday at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex as part of THE Spring Games. The Engineers defeated Aurora (IL) (2-3), 13-4, in the opener before topping Penn State Berks (2-5), 7-1, in the afternoon game to improve to 4-0 on the season.
 
Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) and Destiny Lum (Kahalu'u, HI) combined for 10 hits, two home runs, and five RBI to lead the Engineers at the plate.
 
Game One
WPI used four home runs and a seven-run fifth inning to pull away from Aurora in a 13-4 victory in the opener.
 
Latour paced the Engineers with three hits including a solo home run and two runs scored, while Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, MA) added two hits including a homer and two RBI. Lum went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, and Grace Grant (Orlando, FL) launched a two-run homer as part of WPI's long-ball barrage. Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) chipped in a two-run double as WPI collected 10 hits.
 
Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) earned the win with two innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits. Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) started and worked the first three innings for the Engineers.
 
Aurora was led by Mia Rivera (Highland, IN), who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double, while Mia Malczyk (North Aurora, IL) drove in a run with a single. Sienna Bemmels (Belle Plaine, MN) took the loss for the Spartans.
 
WPI struck first in the second inning when Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) scored on an Aurora error before Grant followed with a two-run homer to center field for a 3-0 lead.
 
Aurora responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Kelsey Oviatt (Lockport, IL), an RBI walk by Rivera, and a hit-by-pitch that forced in another run to tie the contest.
 
The Engineers quickly regained the lead in the third as Latour, Sherwood, and Lum launched back-to-back-to-back solo home runs to push the score to 6-3.
 
WPI broke the game open in the fifth. Sherwood doubled home Latour before a throwing error allowed another run to score. Ali Chalovich (Pittsburgh, PA) followed with an RBI single, Grant drew a bases-loaded walk, and a wild pitch plated another run before Fairbairn delivered a two-run double to cap the rally and extend the lead to 13-3.
 
Aurora scored once in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Malczyk, but the Spartans could get no closer.
 
Game Two
The Engineers used a balanced offensive attack and strong pitching to complete the sweep with a 7-1 victory over Penn State Berks.
 
Lum led the offense with a 3-for-3 performance including a double and two RBI, while Latour recorded two hits and drove in a run. Sherwood added two hits and scored once, and Ariana Kreuzer (Walpole, MA) delivered a two-run single.
 
Merchant earned her second win of the day in relief, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just two hits. Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) started the game and allowed one run on one hit over 2.1 innings.
 
Penn State Berks was paced by Natasha Hornung (Newton, NJ), who collected two hits and scored the Nittany Lions' lone run. Maura Gorman (Philadelphia, PA) drove in the run with an RBI single.
 
Penn State Berks struck first in the second inning when Gorman singled down the right-field line to score Hornung.
 
WPI responded with three runs in the third.  Nagy reached on a throwing error that allowed Latour to score before Kreuzer singled to left to bring home Nagy and Lum for a 3-1 lead.
 
The Engineers added three more runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Latour, an RBI double by Lum, and a sacrifice fly from Nagy to extend the lead to 6-1.
 
WPI capped the scoring in the sixth when Lum singled and advanced to second on an error, allowing Latour to score and make it 7-1.
 
Merchant closed the game by retiring the final seven batters she faced to secure the victory.
 
WPI continues play at THE Spring Games on Friday with games against Western New England at 1:45 pm and Nichols at 4:00 pm. Aurora is back in action on Thursday with matchups against the College of St. Scholastica and Ohio Northern at the Fortune Road Complex. Penn State Berks returns home next week to host a doubleheader against Swarthmore on March 19.
 
Game 1 Box Score
 
Game 2 Box Score