WORCESTER -- Top-seeded and No. 10 WPI defeated fourth-seeded Albertus Magnus, 9-0 in five innings, in Game 5 of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Worcester Regional on Saturday afternoon at Rooftop Field. The Engineers improve to 44-4 and advance to Sunday's championship round, while the Falcons conclude their record-setting season at 28-20.
Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) powered the WPI offense with a pair of home runs and four RBI, while
Elizabeth Jordan (Yardley, PA) added two hits and two RBI.
Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) chipped in a home run and two RBI, and
Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, NY) recorded two hits and drove in a run as the Engineers totaled 11 hits in the victory.
For Albertus Magnus,
Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, NJ) led the way with two hits, while
Isabelle Smith (Meriden, CT),
Amelia Boulli (Torrington, CT),
Izzy Barreiro (Brookfield, CT), and
Gina Solow (Fairfield, CT) each added singles.
WPI wasted little time getting on the board in the first inning. After
Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) reached and Fairbairn drew a walk, Nagy launched a three-run home run to right-center to give the Engineers a 3-0 lead.
The Engineers broke the game open in the second inning with four more runs. Jordan delivered an RBI single to score
Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, NY), Fairbairn followed with a two-run home run to left, and O'Brien added an RBI single later in the frame to extend the lead to 7-0.
After a scoreless third, WPI added on again in the fourth when Nagy connected for her second home run of the game, a solo shot to center field for her 19th of the season, that made it 8-0.
The Engineers capped the scoring in the fifth as Jordan singled up the middle to bring home
Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, MA), pushing the lead to 9-0.
Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) earned the win, tossing four shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out three.
Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) worked a scoreless fifth inning in relief to complete the shutout.
Albertus Magnus threatened early, putting multiple runners on base in the first and fourth innings, but could not break through against the WPI pitching staff.
With the win, WPI advances to Sunday's championship round to face third-seeded UMass Dartmouth at 11:00am An Engineers victory would force a winner-take-all final later in the day.
Box Score
