The softball team swept Worcester Polytechnic Institute in a doubleheader last Saturday at home after splitting doubleheaders against Wheaton College and Endicott College on the road earlier in the week.

The Judges, now 19-10 on the season, defeated WPI 3-2 in the first game and 4-1 in the second game.

"It was just a team effort, and I think everyone contributed, and everyone stayed positive, which helped," said starting pitcher Melissa Nolan '14.

Although the Judges played at home against WPI, the squad was the away team because the doubleheader was originally scheduled to be played at neutral Clark University, but the rain over the weekend moved the game to Brandeis.

In the second game, Nolan allowed one run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Judges came back and scored two runs in the top of the third.

Third baseman Madison Gagnon '16 hit an RBI double that scored center fielder Amanda Genovese '14 and shortstop Anya Kamber '15, who had four singles in four plate appearances, recorded an RBI single that scored Gagnon.

The Judges scored one run in the sixth and one run in the seventh, and Nolan shutdown the Engineers for the rest of the game.

Nolan, who also had two hits in the game, allowed four hits in a complete game. She also struck out six batters and walked four.

In the team's 3-2 win against WPI, the Judges scored all of their runs in the third. Genovese started the inning by reaching base on an error and stealing second, and second baseman Danielle Novotny '16 then hit an RBI double that scored Genovese. After third baseman Madison Gagnon '16 flied out, Nolan homered for the fourth time this season to give the Judges a 3-0 lead.

Casey Ducinski '13 gave up one run in the bottom of the inning, and she allowed two consecutive hits to begin the seventh. While one runner eventually crossed home in the seventh, Ducinski preserved the win for the Judges by striking out Engineers junior left fielder Janelle MacLaughin to end the game.

Novotny, Nolan and second baseman Leah McWilliams '14 had all of the hits for the Judges, as each player recorded two hits in the win.

Ducinski pitched all seven innings and surrendered nine hits and four walks, but she struck out four batters.

The squad concluded their doubleheader at Endicott College last Thursday with a 4-2 win in six innings. The Judges had a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, but despite allowing two unearned runs in the inning, the team held onto the victory.

Nolan pitched a complete game, striking out six batters and allowing only one walk. She also went two-for-three with one RBI.

Despite winning the second game of the doubleheader, the Judges fell to Endicott 8-1 in the first game. Endicott scored three runs in the second inning and proceeded to score two runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth.

Ducinski allowed five runs in four innings of work and walked four batters. Pitcher Nikki Cote '15 relieved Ducinski for the last two innings and gave up five hits and three runs.

Genovese was the only player to have more than one hit during the loss, as she had two singles in four plate appearances.

Last Tuesday, the Judges also split a doubleheader with Wheaton College. Nolan anchored the squad to a 2-1 win in the second game by pitching a complete game. She allowed four hits, walked two batters and struck out two batters.

The win came after a 3-2 loss in eight innings to Wheaton. The Judges trailed 2-1 going into the top of the seventh, and with runners on first and second with two outs, catcher Cori Coleman '15 reached base on a fielding error by Wheaton junior left fielder Amanda Drury, scoring Ducinski from second.
Although the Judges scored the game-tying run on an error, they allowed the game-winning run on an error committed by Novotny.

The squad next plays on Saturday in a doubleheader against Clark University at home. They will then travel to Suffolk University for a doubleheader on Sunday.

For the future, Nolan hopes that the squad jumps out to early leads instead of trailing in the beginning of games.

"I think we need to come ready for every game and not have our slow starts, which we kind of have been notorious for," she said.