Worcester, Mass. – Brett O'Keefe (Brighton, Mass.) threw five innings of stellar relief and Michael Eglow (Delmar, N.Y.) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning as Clark University took the first game of a three game series with New England Women's And Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rival Springfield College on Friday afternoon.

The Cougars continue to inch toward the .500 mark with the victory, improving to 6-9 overall and more importantly, 3-3 in conference contests. For the Pride, meanwhile, they have now dropped three straight to slip to 2-15 overall and 1-7 in league games. 

Eglow's game-winning hit traveled only about 15 feet from home plate but it was enough to allow Dan Lima (Manchester, Conn.) to scamper home.

Clark actually jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as David Eschen (New York, N.Y.), Zach Richall (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and Mikey Thomson (Northampton, Mass.) all delivered RBI singles off of Springfield starter Ben Bohlke (Nanuet, N.Y.).

Bohlke settled down after a rocky opening to toss 6.1 innings of solid work, scattering seven hits while allowing only two earned runs.

Cougar hurler Luke Crocker (Strafford, Vt.) was up to task as well, going six innings and striking out five – including striking out the side in the third.

Crocker was cruising along into the sixth until the Pride bats came to life on a two-run double to by C.J. Monroe (Wolcott, Conn.) and then a run-scoring two-bagger from Shane O'Leary (Kings Park, N.Y.). Springfield then took the lead at 4-3 after Brent Poulin (Atascadera, Calif.) drove a single to left that not only plated O'Leary but gave the visitors a 4-3 advantage.

The Scarlet and White took the lead back in the seventh when Thompson led off the inning with his second hit of the day and Adam Chochrek (Foxboro, Mass.) eventually drove in the equalizer with a double to left center. He then came around to score to give the lead back to Clark on a single to center by Tyler Hutchinson (Greene, Maine.).

O'Keefe, who entered the game with one out in top of the eighth looked poised to collect his second save of the year after he got two outs in the ninth and had a runner on first. A walk toSteve Starr (Lebanon, Conn.), however, was followed by a game-tying single by pinch-hitter JP Peters (Guilford, Conn.).

Springfield had the first opportunity to score in extra innings when they got O'Leary to second base with one out, but O'Keefe picked him off as he strayed too far away from the bag.

Clark's turn came in the bottom of the frame when Lima and Kyle Bonicki (Waterbury, Conn.) reached first and second with no outs, but Pride reliever Matt Bytrum (Schednectady, N.Y.) got Eschen to bounce into a double play and then struck out Richall to thwart the threat. 

That same foursome came up in the bottom of the 12th with much different results. Lima singled to left and then Bonicki singled to right to opening the inning. After Eschen was intentionally walked to load the bases, Bytum was able to get one out. But Eglow's swinging bunt single ignited a game-ending celebration.

Six different Cougars had at least two hits, led by Lima, who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and made several great catches in the outfield, including a sliding grab on a fast sinking Corey Wilcox slider to end the 11th inning.

Monroe, O'Leary and Poulin all had two hits for the Pride, while Starr drew two walks and Monroe drove in a pair of runs.

The two teams will return to the field for the final two games of the series on Saturday. First pitch of game one is slated for 12:00 p.m.