GAME OVERVIEW:

REVERE, MA. – The Lesley Lynx Softball team celebrated Senior Day with a conference doubleheader sweep of the Eastern Nazarene Lions. The Lynx won game one 2-1 and walked off game two 4-3. Lesley moves to 13-15 on the season and 4-6 in the NECC, while the Lions fall to 18-20 overall and 6-4 in the conference.

INSIDE GAME 1:

• ENC scored first in game one but then would not score again off Samantha Mecklenburg in one of her best outings of the season. Bailey Olaveson got the Lions's only run with a solo home run to right center in the top of the first.
• The Lions held their 1-0 lead until the fourth inning when the Lynx got all they would need for the win. Ilana Zack started things off with a walk and moved up to second on a base hit by Jess O'Neill. O'Neill would be retired on a fielder's choice by Sam Jensen, but Zack moved up to third. She came in to score on an RBI single by Lindsey Jensen that also sent Sam to third. Mecklenburg reached on a two-out pop-up that was dropped by ENC shortstop Alexys Giddings, which allowed Sam Jensen to score the go-ahead run.
• After gaining the lead, Mecklenburg retired nine of the final eleven batters of the game, only allowing one more walk and one more hit. She earned her fourth win of the season while only giving up the single run and three total hits. She only walked two batters and struck out three.
• Mahlia Medina, Megan Murphy, and Lindsey Jensen each had two hits for the Lynx, while Zack had two walks. Giddings and Ashley Caldwell were the only two Lions, other than Olaveson, to get hits off of Mecklenburg.

INSIDE GAME 2:

• The Lions scored first again, after quickly loading the bases with nobody out against Lynx starter Jordan Day. Kiley Ozaki doubled to drive two runs in, but Day induced a pop-up and struck out two batters to get out of the jam with minimal damage.
• Lesley got one run back in the bottom of the first to make it a 2-1 game. Medina went from first to third on a single by Zack and came into score on an error by Ozaki at third base that allowed Antonia Kieran to reach.
• Ozaki made up for the error by putting her side back up by two runs in the third inning. She crushed another double to left center to drive in Olaveson and give the Lions a 3-1 lead that they would hold until the late innings.
• Kieran created another run in the bottom of the sixth, this time in a simpler fashion. She smashed her first home run of the season off the lightpole in left field to bring the Lynx back within a run. O'Neill followed her with a single and Sam Jensen followed that up with a double to place O'Neill at third. Lindsey Jensen grounded out for the first out of the inning, but it was a productive grounder to send O'Neill home to tie the game.
• Day retired the side in order in the top of the seventh and let the offense get to work in the bottom of the inning. Medina led off with a single to centerfield and Murphy reached on a soft ball to shortstop that nobody could get to in time. Day nearly ended the game in her at-bat, just missing a homer that did get deep enough to move Medina home. Zack finished things off quickly with a liner into left to score Medina and complete the sweep.
• Day got the win, her ninth of the season, allowing three runs (only one earned) and four hits while striking out seven. Janelle Munoz got her second loss the day, dropping to 12-12 on the mound this season. She allowed four runs on ten hits.

UP NEXT:

The Lynx close out the regular season at New England College tomorrow, Saturday April 30th, with a doubleheader beginning at noon.