WORCESTER -- Behind a dominant performance from Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) in the opener, the WPI softball team extended its unbeaten start with a doubleheader sweep of Worcester State on Thursday afternoon at Rockwood Field. The Engineers improved to 10-0 on the season, while the Lancers dropped to 4-8.
 
Boldebuck was nearly untouchable in game one, tossing a complete game with five strikeouts and just one walk to notch her second career no-hitter and first solo no-no.  Catcher Ariana Kreuzer (Walpole, MA) was also the junior's battey-mate in a combined no-hitter against Amherst a season ago. 
 
Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) led the Engineers across both games, combining for four hits and five RBI, including three home runs. Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) added four hits, including a homer, while Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) recorded five hits and scored three times. Destiny Lum (Kahalu?u, HI) chipped in three hits, including a home run and a double, and drove in four runs.
 
Game One
WPI backed Boldebuck with a 14-hit performance in an 8-0 victory in six innings. Nagy powered the offense with two home runs and four RBI, while Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) collected three hits and drove in a run. Latour added a solo homer, and McKinney contributed two hits and an RBI.
 
WPI struck early with three runs in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Lum and a two-run homer by Nagy. The Engineers added a run in the second before breaking it open in the fourth with a Latour solo shot and Nagy's second two-run homer of the game. Fairbairn capped the scoring with an RBI single in the sixth.
 
Worcester State was held hitless in the opener, with Olivia Pirrotta (Uxbridge, MA) drawing the Lancers' lone walk. In the circle, Taylor Stuart (Sterling, MA) took the loss, allowing four runs on 10 hits over 2.2 innings, while Taylor Coonan (Grafton, MA) allowed four runs in relief.
 
Game Two
The Engineers completed the sweep with a 6-1 victory behind another strong offensive showing. McKinney paced WPI with three hits and two runs scored, while Lum drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the first inning. Nagy and Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) each added solo home runs.
 
Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) earned the win, allowing one run on seven hits over five innings. Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) closed the game with two scoreless innings of relief.
 
Worcester State was led offensively by Bailey Tammaro (Fitchburg, MA), who went 3-for-3, while Bella Gasbarro (Leominster, MA) and Carisa Andrews (Medford, MA) each added two hits. Amanda Adamuska (Dudley, MA) drove in the Lancers' lone run.
 
In the circle, Peyton Maloney (West Boylston, MA) took the loss, allowing six runs on 12 hits while striking out six over seven innings.
 
The Engineers plated three runs in the first inning on an RBI single from McKinney and a two-run homer by Lum. WPI continued to add on with solo home runs from O'Brien in the third and Nagy in the fifth, stretching the lead to 5-0.
 
Worcester State broke through with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Engineers responded immediately in the sixth on an RBI double from Lum to push the advantage back to five.
 
WPI returns to action on Sunday with its NEWMAC opener, a doubleheader at Wellesley at noon. Worcester State travels to Westfield State for a doubleheader on Sunday at noon.
 
Game 1 Box Score
 
Game 2 Box Score