Bats struggle as Wildcats fall to Blazers

Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Elms College improved to 12-2 in the NECC Sunday afternoon when the Blazers took a pair from Wheelock College at Pine Manor.

A five run top of the seventh helped the Blazers to a 10-2 win in game one, while Destinee Meeker (Bantam, CT) and Ani Ramsdell (Gardner, MA) combined for a two hitter in game two for the 8-0 win in five innings.

Wheelock's Stacy Seidner (Pembroke, NH) coming off of Saturday's ten strikeout performance, kept the Wildcats in the game for the first three innings of the contest, helped by a bases loaded double play in the third to keep the game scoreless. But in the top of the fourth, Elms Kelly Callahan (Monson, MA) followed a Marlene DiaRaimo (Cranston, RI) double with a homer to left center to stake her team to the 2-0 lead.

Elms added three more in the fifth inning, courtesy of two hits and a Wheelock error. In the bottom of the fifth Wheelock's Nicole Zina (Bristol, RI)singled to right to start the frame. After back to back outs, Niki Rapsis (Nashua, NH) drew the walk and Kristen Brock (Plainville, MA) followed with a single to load the basis. Two runs scored when Freshman Mary Porter's (East Falmouth) fly ball was mishandled, as Wheelock cut the lead to 5-2.

After a quiet sixth the Blazers opened the game in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs on five hits and an error. Zina was 2-2 in game one, while Brock was 2-3 for Wheelock. Elms was led by multi-hit performances from six different players, including three hits each from Allison McBride (East Providence, RI) and Keri Bowden (Chicopee, MA). DiaRaimo led the Blazers with three RBI's.

Game two remained scoreless until the third inning when Elms' Amanda Alvarado scored on a groundout by Ally Graffum (Ipswitch, MA). Allison McBride followed with a single to score Kim Lastowksi (Turner Falls, MA). The Blazers added two more in the fourth and four in the fifth inning, highlighted by a triple from DiaRaimo.

Offensively, Elms was led by Lastowski in game two, who went 4-4 with two RBI's. Zina and Elise Ordile (Waltham, MA) picked up the hits for Wheelock in game two.

The Wildcats will next be in action on Tuesday, when they travel to New Hampshire to face off against Daniel Webster. Elms will host Southern Vermont College on Tuesday.