LYNN, Mass.—Gordon Softball secured its first doubleheader sweep of the season on Thursday night, beating Fisher twice on its home turf. The Fighting Scots pounded out 10 runs in a five-inning shutout in game one before completing a comeback in game two 7-6.
Gordon improves to 6-17-1 this season, while Fisher falls to 3-19. The Fighting Scots are back on the field tomorrow afternoon with a trip up to Biddeford, Maine to take on the University of New England.
Game One: Gordon 10 – 0 Fisher / 5 innings
After a quiet first two innings, Gordon exploded for 10 runs between the third and fifth frames. The Fighting Scots capitalized on a slew of Fisher errors in the top of the third to help them score four runs and take an early lead.
Megan Jenkerson (McDonough, Ga.) and Sarah Ryder (Telford, Pa.) both singled in the third, but all four runs in the inning were unearned due to an error by the Fisher shortstop after Jenkerson's base knock. Ryder drove in a run on the next play and another error in the outfielder allowed a second run to score.
Gordon also scored runs on a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly by Kaelie Mercado (Granada Hills, Calif.).
Jenkerson kept things moving in the fourth with a one-out double before scoring on another Ryder single. Emily Kline (Park Ridge, N.J.) also singled in the fourth, allowing Ryder to score on a miscue in the outfield.
Mercado tripled to lead off the fifth before begin brought in to score by the red-hot Jenkerson, who doubled for the second time in as many at bats. Ryder and Emily Burkhart (Manheim, Pa.) both had RBI singles later in the inning to bring Gordon to the 10-run advantage.
Kline allowed six hits and struck out five, while garnering her first shutout of the season. Jenkerson and Ryder combined to go 6-for-7 at the dish with four RBI and two extra-base hits.
Game Two: Gordon 7 – 6 Fisher
The Fighting Scots carried over their dynamic offense into the first inning of the nightcap. The first three batters of the inning all reach, two by walk, and Kline singled in two runs before the Falcons could record an out. Burkhart added her second RBI single of the day before Gordon scored a fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Fisher scored its first run of the day in the bottom of the first thanks to a double by Kristina Brown (Dixon, Calif.). However, Gordon extended its lead back to four runs in the second inning on another single by Kline.
The Falcons added a second run in the third inning, but they made things interesting in the bottom of the fifth with four scores. The first five Falcons reached base safely with hits, including Brown's second double of the game. Once the dust settled, Fisher scored four runs on seven hits, but left two runners on base when Kline got Brown to ground out.
Gordon was not on the short end of the score for long as the Fighting Scots tagged first-game starter Mikayla Zimmerman for two runs in the sixth. Mercado walked to lead off the inning, but Zimmerman was able to get two consecutive outs to almost end the threat. Meenan singled to keep the hope alive before Ryder knocked in both runners with a double to the gap.
Kline doubled her win total for the season, but this one coming in relief. The sophomore only allowed one base runner over the final two frames and Gordon held on for the doubleheader sweep.
Ryder kept her team lead in RBI with five on four hits between the two games and now has 21 runs batted in this year. Jenkerson added two more doubles to her team leading mark and now sits atop the team with a .385 average in 24 starts.