Game Two

WORCESTER -- Top-seeded and No. 10 WPI defeated fourth-seeded Albertus Magnus, 9-0 in five innings, in Game 5 of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Worcester Regional on Saturday afternoon at Rooftop Field. The Engineers improve to 44-4 and advance to Sunday's championship round, while the Falcons conclude their record-setting season at 28-20.
 
Emma Nagy (Monroe, Wash.) powered the WPI offense with a pair of home runs and four RBI, while Elizabeth Jordan (Yardley, PA) added two hits and two RBI. Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, MA) chipped in a home run and two RBI, and Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, N.Y.) recorded two hits and drove in a run as the Engineers totaled 11 hits in the victory.
 
For Albertus Magnus, Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, NJ) led the way with two hits, while Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.), Amelia Boulli (Torrington, Conn.), Izzy Barreiro (Brookfield, Conn.), and Gina Solow (Fairfield, Conn.) each added singles.
 
WPI wasted little time getting on the board in the first inning. After Lucy Latour (North Dighton, Mass.) reached and Fairbairn drew a walk, Nagy launched a three-run home run to right-center to give the Engineers a 3-0 lead.
 
The Engineers broke the game open in the second inning with four more runs. Jordan delivered an RBI single to score Virginia McKinney (Larchmont, N.Y.), Fairbairn followed with a two-run home run to left, and O'Brien added an RBI single later in the frame, extending the lead to 7-0.
 
After a scoreless third, WPI added on again in the fourth when Nagy connected for her second home run of the game, a solo shot to center field for her 19th of the season, which made it 8-0.
 
The Engineers capped the scoring in the fifth as Jordan singled up the middle to bring home Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, Mass.), pushing the lead to 9-0.
 
Abby Merchant (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) earned the win, tossing four shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out three. Kaitlyn Barr (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) worked a scoreless fifth inning in relief to complete the shutout.

Albertus Magnus threatened early, putting multiple runners on base in the first and fourth innings, but could not break through against the WPI pitching staff.
 
With the win, WPI advances to Sunday's championship round to face third-seeded UMass Dartmouth at 11:00 am. An Engineers' victory would force a winner-take-all final later in the day.

Game One 

WORCESTER -- Third-seeded UMass Dartmouth defeated top-seeded and No. 12 WPI, 6-2, in Game 4 of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Worcester Regional on Saturday morning at Rooftop Field. The Corsairs improve to 32-11 and advance to the championship round, while WPI moves to 43-4 and will play later in the day in an elimination game.
 
UMass Dartmouth used a three-run third inning to break a tie game and never trailed the rest of the way, while limiting WPI to just four hits in the contest.
 
Lucy Latour (North Dighton, MA) led WPI with two hits, while Sandy Fairbairn (Norton, Mass.) scored a run and added a hit. Riley O'Brien (Wynantskill, N.Y.) also contributed a hit as the Engineers struggled to generate consistent offense despite drawing six walks.
 
For UMass Dartmouth, Sydney Menz (Stoughton, Mass.) delivered the biggest swing of the game, driving in two runs with a double in the third inning. Olivia Silva (Swansea, MA) added an RBI single, while Lena Tsonis (New Bedford, Mass.) chipped in an RBI.
 
UMass Dartmouth struck first in the opening inning when Silva singled to center to score Raelynn Perregaux (Torrington, Conn.) for a 1-0 lead.
 
WPI answered in the second without recording a hit, capitalizing on a defensive error to bring home Meg Sherwood (Norfolk, Mass.) and even the score at 1-1.
 
The Corsairs regained the lead in the second inning in unusual fashion, as Emma Talpey (Bridgewater, Mass.) stole home during a rundown to make it 2-1.
 
WPI again answered in the third, taking advantage of another error as Sherwood reached and eventually came around to score, tying the game at 2-2.
 
UMass Dartmouth responded immediately in the bottom half with the decisive rally. With two outs and runners on base, Menz delivered a two-run double down the left-field line to give the Corsairs a 4-2 lead, and Tsonis followed with an RBI single to extend the advantage to 5-2.
 
From there, the Corsairs maintained control. UMass Dartmouth added an insurance run in the sixth, taking advantage of aggressive baserunning as a double steal saw Menz score to push the lead to 6-2.
 
Brielle Kenney (Waterford, Conn.) earned the win in relief, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings, while Edy Crawford (Exeter, NH) started and allowed one unearned run over two innings. Naomi Boldebuck (Billerica, Mass.) took the loss for WPI, allowing six runs over six innings.
 
With the win, UMass Dartmouth advances to Sunday's championship round at 11:00 am. WPI will face the winner of the afternoon elimination game between Stockton and Albertus Magnus later Saturday at 4:00 pm for a chance to advance to Sunday.

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.