Mathematically speaking, the WPI softball team won 90 percent of its games this spring. That’s a rate of winning nine out of every 10–quite a mind boggling clip to maintain throughout a 49-game season.
Using a combination of explosive offense, solid defense and reliable starting pitching, the Engineers went 44-5 to set the program record for wins in a season. WPI, the regular season and tournament champion of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), fell just one win short of a perfect mark in league play at 19-1. The conference championship was the fourth overall for the program, its first since 2022.
Ranked No. 10 in the nation for Division 3, the Engineers received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as well an opportunity to host a regional on campus at Rooftop Field May 15 through May 17 featuring UMass Dartmouth, Albertus Magnus and Stockton College.
The NCAA appearance marked WPI’s fifth overall. The Engineers won their first-ever Division 3 Super Regional Championship and advanced to the National Championship Series four years ago in 2022 under current head coach Heather Ross during her first season.
Through four games in the regional, WPI went 2-2, with both losses coming to regional champion UMass Dartmouth (33-11), who finished the tournament undefeated in three games to advance to the Super Regional.
In the opening game of the Worcester regional on May 15, junior pitcher Naomi Boldebuck held Albertus Magnus (28-20) scoreless on one hit over five innings to earn her 16th win of the season.
Offensively, junior Virginia McKinney had two hits and scored twice while fellow junior Riley O’Brien chipped in with a timely two-run single as part of a five-run third inning that propelled WPI to a commanding 9-0, five-inning win via run-rule.
On May 16, WPI dropped a 6-2 decision to UMass Dartmouth in the first game of the day before coming back with a second 9-0 shutout of Albertus Magnus in five innings to earn a spot in Sunday’s championship round.
Senior Emma Nagy shook off an 0-for-5 start in the first two games of the regional by blasting two home runs and driving in four runs to power the offense. The home runs, her 18th and 19th of the season, brought her career total to 44. The senior first baseman from Monore, WA also earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for WPI.
“I didn’t want to go home today,” said a smiling Nagy after the win.
Sophomore Lucy Latour, senior Liz Jordan and O’Brien all contributed two hits apiece. Junior Sandy Fairbairn also launched a towering two-run homer to left field as part of a four-run second inning. Both O’Brien and Fairbairn joined Nagy on the All-Tournament team.
Freshman pitcher Abby Merchant threw four scoreless innings and struck out three to earn her 25th win of the season. Junior Kaitlyn Barr pitched a clean fifth inning to preserve the win.
In the two wins against Albertus Magnus, Boldebuck, Merchant and Barr combined to throw 10 scoreless innings, allowing just six hits while striking out seven and walking one.
“Since there’s only three of us, we all know that it’s going to be a group effort,” said Merchant. “It’s a staff. We’re not competing against one another.”
In the finals on May 17, UMass Dartmouth scored two runs in the bottom of the first and tacked on one more in the bottom of the second to quickly jump ahead 3-0.
WPI fought back with two runs in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. Senior and Hawaii native Destiny Lum, who missed a significant portion of the season due to injury, delivered a memorable pinch-hit RBI single through the left side for the first run. Latour then blooped a single into short left field to bring the Engineers within one.
“It’s just a testament to Destiny’s work ethic and desire to make the team as best as she can in whatever role,” said Ross after the game, commenting on Lum’s rehab journey to get back on the field.
The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth when the Corsairs struck for five runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from Raelynn Perregaux who was named the Regional’s Most Outstanding Player. UMass Dartmouth retired WPI in order in the seventh to secure an 8-2 win.
“We can all look back and say we competed hard, we had fun and if there’s a way to end the season, that’s the kind of game we want to end it on,” said Ross.
After the game, Ross also spoke about her five seniors and the impact they’ve had on the program. The group of Nagy, Mia Francisco, Meg Sherwood, Lum and Jordan made up the first recruiting class for Ross at WPI.
“The commitment to each other in this class is what really set the standard,” said Ross. “They will leave a legacy, they have left it already. I know they’re going to come back as proud alums when they see us right back here next year because of the work that they put in over their four years, impacting well beyond the softball program.”
Ross and her coaches Dylan Foran, Amanda Chaiyanhat, and Gage Nagy were named the NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year on May 12.
Merchant also took home NEWMAC Rookie of the Year honors as well as a spot on the First Team. Joining her on the NEWMAC First Team were Fairbairn, Nagy, Latour, and catcher Ali Chalovich. Boldebuck and McKinney picked up NEWMAC Second Team honors.
The Engineers hit .355 as a team, led by Latour who finished the season with an even .500 batting average (79 of 158). She was among the top players nationally in Division 3 in both batting average and hits. WPI also ranked among the top teams nationally in home runs (61) and home runs per game (1.24).
But perhaps the greatest strength of this team was their keen ability to stay poised under pressure as well as their dynamic chemistry fueled by supporting one another.
“The theme of our team this year is that we’re steady and calm no matter what,” said Ross on the opening day of the regional.
When the Engineers played on Rooftop Field in front of family and friends during the regional, their spirit and enthusiasm were hard to miss.
“That energy is infectious and everybody sees that and wants to be the best we can for each other,” said McKinney.
For the seniors, the pain of losing was evident. But their memories of this team will live on for years to come.
“It had to end at some point, I wish it wasn’t today,” said Nagy after the final loss. “I’m glad I was able to spend it on our home field with my family and my best friends for the rest of my life. I’m so grateful for the experience that I’ve been able to have.”
