Northampton, MA -- The #18 WPI softball team swept a NEWMAC doubleheader at Smith on Friday afternoon, taking the opener 6-3 before completing the sweep with an 8-2 victory in game two. The Engineers improve to 32-2 (11-1 NEWMAC), while the Pioneers move to 15-16 (7-7 NEWMAC).
 
WPI used a late-game surge to take control of the opener before riding a fast start and steady offense in game two. Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) sparked the rally with a key RBI single and scored three times in game one, then added another multi-hit effort in the nightcap, while Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) fueled the second-game offense with three hits and two RBI.
 
Game One
WPI rallied late to earn a 6-3 victory in the opener.
 
Latour led the Engineers with two hits, two RBI, and three runs scored, while Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY) added two hits. Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, MA) chipped in a hit and an RBI, and Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) scored three times.
 
Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, MA) earned the win, allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out five in a complete-game effort.
 
Smith was led by Riley Veenstra (Oakland, CA), who recorded two hits, while Violet Peverly (Granby, CT) drove in two runs and took the loss in the circle.
 
WPI struck first in the opening inning on a sacrifice fly by Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA), but Smith answered with two unearned runs in the bottom half to take the lead.
 
After Sherwood tied the game with an RBI double in the second, the Pioneers regained a 3-2 advantage in the third on a sacrifice fly from Bailey Gray (Missouri City, TX).
 
The Engineers evened the score in the fifth when Latour delivered an RBI single and later came around to score on an error. WPI then pulled away in the seventh as Latour doubled home a run before Samantha Jeng (Fontana, CA) brought in another on an error to seal the win.
 
Game Two
The Engineers used a balanced offensive attack and another strong outing in the circle to complete the sweep with an 8-2 victory.
 
Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) led the offense with three hits and two RBI, while Latour added two hits, a walk, and an RBI. Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) collected two hits and drove in a run, and Sherwood added two hits and an RBI. Jordan also contributed two hits and scored a run.
 
Merchant earned the win with a complete-game effort, allowing two runs, one earned, on eight hits while striking out three.
 
Smith was paced by Gray and Sophie Hasegawa (Palos Verdes Estates, CA), who each recorded two hits, while Veenstra drove in a run.
 
WPI jumped out early with two runs in the first, capitalizing on hits from Latour, Nagy, and O'Brien, along with a Smith error.
 
The Engineers added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Ali Chalovich (Pittsburgh, PA) before Smith cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth with a pair of runs.
 
WPI responded with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Nagy and Sherwood, then added insurance in the sixth and seventh, including an RBI single by Jeng and a run-scoring error, to pull away for the 8-2 win.
 
WPI returns to action on Saturday with a NEWMAC doubleheader at No. 24 MIT beginning at noon.  The twin bill features the top two teams in conference play and will be played at Boston College's Harrington Athletics Village.  Smith travels to Coast Guard for a NEWMAC doubleheader, also on Saturday at noon.
 
Game 1 Box Score
 
Game 2 Box Score