CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Elms College completed the doubleheader sweep of Lesley University following a 12-9 win in 12-innings in game two. Game two, which was continued on Sunday morning after play was halted in the top of the 12th inning on Saturday, came on the heels of a 5-1 Blazer win in game one of the double-dip on Saturday.
The win in the day's opener lifted Elms to 16-12 overall and 15-3 in NECC play while the Lynx dropped to 13-15 on the season and 10-5 in the conference. The Blazers have secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NECC Tournament while the Lynx will play as the No. 5 seed.
Game One: Elms 5, Lesley 1
The Blazers got their offense going from the start as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After senior Bethany Grimes (Terryville, Conn.) ripped a run-scoring double to centerfield before freshman Elizabeth Olszewski (Canterbury, Conn.) blasted a three run homer to left-center to put the Blazers up 4-0.
Elms would use some more power to add another run in the top of the fifth when sophomore Kacey Gifford (Suffield, Conn.) drove a line drive over the fence in right-centerfield to extend the visitors lead to 5-0. The home run was her second of the season.
The Lynx would get on the board in the bottom of the frame. After freshman Jillian Sbardella (Dartmouth, Mass.) led off with a double down the left field line, junior Alyson Nisbet (Clovis, Calif.) connected for a single to right to bring around pinch runner Hannah Levensailor (Ayer, Mass.).
That would all the hosts would get, however, as Grimes kept the Lynx lineup off balance all game. The right-hander allowed just six hits and one run while striking out 12 as she improved the 8-7 on the year.
Nisbet was charged with the loss for the Lynx, going the distance allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out nine.
Sbardella and freshman Theresa Pereira (Hopedale, Mass.) each picked up a pair of singles for Lesley while sophomore Mekenzi Golden (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and Nisbet each finished 1-for-3.
Gifford led the Blazers as she went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored while Kacey Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.) finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Game two:
It was Lesley who jumped ahead in game two of the afternoon as Golden smashed her team-leading seventh home run deep over the left field wall that plated Carlyn Barker (Temecula, Calif.) to give the Lynx a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
The Blazers would threaten in the top of the second as Grimes and Olszewski led off the inning with consecutive singles and both runners moved into scoring position with no outs. Nisbet got out of the jam unscathed as she set down the next three in order with a strikeout and a pair of ground outs.
Nisbet worked herself out of trouble again in the top of the third as the Blazers loaded the bases with no outs. The righty escaped without any damage for the second straight inning as she forced three straight ground outs to keep the Blazers scoreless.
The score would remain 2-0 in favor of the Lynx until the top of the seventh inning. Elms collected three straight singles to load the bases with one out before Grimes launched a double to right-center that plated Gifford and Skinner to knot the game at 2-2. The Blazers would leave the bases loaded in the inning as lefty reliever Jordan Thomas (Fitchburg, Mass.) forced two fly outs to third base to get out of the jam without any further damage.
The Lynx nearly secured the win in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Courtney Goggin (Cheshire, Conn.) led off with a double to left-center and then moved to third on a Sbardella sacrifice bunt. Blazers starter Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) induced a ground out to second base for the second out of the inning and escaped the jam as Rachel Beery (Springfield, Mass.) cut down Goggin at the plate in what would have been the game-winning run.
After scoring just two runs apiece through seven innings, both offenses would get to work in the extra frames.
The Blazers put runners on the corners with one out in the eighth before Skinner plated a pair with a single to deep centerfield. Grimes would come through later in the inning with a two-run single of her own as the Blazers took a 6-2 lead.
The Lynx would answer right back as Pereira and Barker would each connect with RBI singles before Goggin blooped a two-run single into shallow centerfield to score Barker and Golden to notch the score at 6-6.
After a scoreless ninth inning, the teams would exchange two runs in the tenth and a single run in the 11th to move into the 12th inning knotted at 9-9.
The Blazers plated their first run of the 12th on a Lynx miscue before Grimes sent a two-run home run over the fence in left to take a 12-9 lead. Grimes would then shut the Lynx down in order in the bottom of the frame to secure the sweep.