WORCESTER -- WPI received a walk-off RBI single from Ali Chalovich (Pittsburgh, PA), a combined eight RBI from Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) and Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) and a pair of relief victories from Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) in a doubleheader sweep of Hartford Tuesday at Rooftop Field. The Crimson and Gray captured the opener 11-3 in five innings before celebrating a 7-6 victory in Game 2.
 
The Engineers, who improved to 25-1 with the sweep, entered the day ranked fifth in the first NCAA Division III NPI rankings of the spring and 15th in the latest NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 poll after previously sitting No. 22. Hartford fell to 14-12.
 
Fairbairn paced the Engineers across the two games, going 4-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, six RBI and three runs scored while Latour was 5-for-6 with a double, triple, home run, two RBI and four runs scored. 
 
Game #1
Hartford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 as Alyssa Edwards (Stoughton, MA) scored on a throwing error and Adelie Beebe (Sacramento, CA) added a sacrifice fly. WPI answered immediately as Latour led off the bottom of the inning with a triple before Fairbairn drove her in with an RBI single. Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) later scored on an error before Stella Kozak (Auburn, NH) delivered an RBI single to give WPI a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Hawks tied the game in the second inning when Alina Weaver (Nazareth, PA) singled home Ella Zobel (Clarence, NY), but WPI broke it open with six runs in the bottom half. Fairbairn blasted a three-run homer to center before Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) added an RBI double, Kozak followed with a run-scoring single and Samantha Jeng (Fontana, CA) capped the inning with an RBI single.
 
Fairbairn finished 2-for-3 with five RBI, including the home run and a sacrifice fly. Latour went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a triple and a walk while Nagy was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Kozak added a 2-for-2 performance with two RBI. The visitors were led by Katrina Baran (Townsend, DE), Gia Miccio (Bellmore, NY) and Eryn Coyle (Monroe, NY), who each recorded two hits, while Weaver added an RBI single.
 
In the circle, Merchant improved to 14-0 after entering with the game tied 3-3 in the second inning and firing 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Merchant allowed four hits and struck out two. Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) started and allowed three runs, two earned, in 1 1/3 innings.
 
Game #2
The nightcap followed a similar pattern as Hartford struck first with two runs in the opening inning on RBI singles by Beebe and Anita Farkash (Seaford, NY) before WPI again responded immediately.
 
Latour singled and stole second to begin the bottom of the first before Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt. Fairbairn followed with an RBI double before O'Brien tied the game with a single and Nagy added another RBI hit to put WPI in front 3-2.
 
Hartford reclaimed the lead in the second inning when Taylor Fitch (Andover, CT) stole home and Miccio delivered an RBI double. Farkash then made it 5-4 in the third with a solo homer, but the Engineers answered again. Chalovich scored on a wild pitch in the second inning before Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) came around on Latour's RBI double in the fourth to even the game at 5-5.
 
Latour gave WPI a 6-5 lead in the sixth with a long solo home run to right. Hartford tied the game in the seventh on an RBI single by Baran.
 
WPI then walked it off in the bottom of the seventh. Fairbairn singled, O'Brien added a hit and Kozak reached on a fielder's choice before Colleen Mayer (Hillsborough, NJ) entered as a pinch runner. Chalovich followed with a single to left to bring home Mayer with the winning run.
 
Latour starred in the nightcap, going 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Fairbairn added two hits and an RBI while O'Brien also collected two hits. Chalovich went 2-for-4 with the walk-off RBI.
 
Hartford received two hits and two RBI from Farkash (Seaford, NY), while Weaver and Baran each added two hits and Miccio chipped in an RBI double.
 
Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) worked 6 1/3 innings in the circle and allowed six runs, four earned. Merchant earned her second victory of the day by recording the final two outs to improve to 15-0.  Carly Mayhood (Newton, NJ) allowed five runs, four earned, for the Hawks over four innings before Hopkins took the loss after yielding two runs across the final 2 2/3 innings.
 
WPI returns to action Thursday with a home doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut scheduled for 3:30pm. Hartford is back on the field Friday when it hosts Gordon in a 2pm CNE doubleheader.
 
Game 1 Box Score
 
Game 2 Box Score