Worcester, Mass. – Host Clark University got two stellar pitching performances from a pair of freshmen and the Cougars kept their postseason hopes alive with a doubleheader sweep of New England Women's And Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rival Emerson College on Sunday afternoon at Granger Field.

The two wins boosts the Scarlet and White's record to 11-14, but more importantly, they are now 8-7 in conference play with two league games remaining on their schedule.

Depending on what happens on Monday in a game between Emerson and Coast Guard, the Cougars made need to win those two games, win just one or should Emerson defeat Coast Guard, Clark would secure a spot in the one-game quarterfinal contest to be played on Friday, April 24.

Game 1: Clark University 6, Emerson College 5

Clark rallied twice – once from a three run deficit and the other time from two runs down – to win the opener in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth.

Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, Daniel Lima (Manchester, Conn.) opened the inning with a single to center. After Adam Chochrek (Foxboro, Mass.) sacrificed him into scoring position, the Cougars loaded the bases on a walk by Kyle Bonicki (Waterbury, Conn.) and an infield single by David Eschen (New York, N.Y.).

Michael Eglow (Delmar, N.Y.) hit a sharp single to center that tied the game and left the bases loaded. Tyler Hutchinson (Greene, Maine) then drew a walk from reliever Henry Schwartz (Queens, N.Y.) that gave the Cougars the walkoff win.

Clark started the game off by squandering a couple of scoring opportunities by putting runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings but weren't able to push any runs across.

That fact wasn't lost on starter Jack Kenney (Saco, Maine) who retired eight straight batters at one point, including striking out all three batters in the third.

Emerson broke through in the fifth as Jim Cain (Wakefield, Mass.) led off the frame with a double and then came around to score on a Steven Cameron (Lansdale, Pa.) single. Those two hits were part of five straight from the Lions that ended when Kenney walked Tim Quitadamo (Worcester, Mass.), making the score 3-0.

Clark answered back with three runs of their own in the sixth when two walks, an out and an error put runners on the corners. Teddy Downing (Cambridge, Mass.) singled to center scoring Eglow and then he and Hutchinson executed the double steal to perfection and Hutchinson scored the second run. The equalizing run came off of the bat of James Conway (Newburyport, Mass.), whose single chased home Downing.

The Lions stole momentum back almost immediately as Zach Dean (Vero Beach, Fla.) doubled home two runs with two outs in the seventh, giving Emerson a 5-3 lead.

Clark was able to get one run back in the eighth when Eglow singled and worked his way around the diamond, eventually scoring on a wild pitch.

Downing, who started the game as the designated hitter, moved to the mound in the eighth and was dominant, tossing two innings of hitless relief to earn the win. Kenney was effective as well for Clark, going the first seven innings, scattering nine hits while striking out six.

Both Lima and Eglow had two hits for the Cougars, while Hutchinson drew two walks and drove in the game winning run.

Game 2: Clark University 10, Emerson College 6

Clark raced out to an early 10-0 lead and then had to hold on down the stretch as Emerson scored six runs over the final two innings.

The Cougars scored three runs in the first as an Eglow double brought in one and then two more runs came across on a Hutchinson double to left.

Ahead 3-0, the Scarlet and White tacked on three more in the second when Bonicki drove in a pair with a single and Eschen drove in another with a base hit of his own.

Clark kept the runs coming in the third highlighted by Hutchinson legging out an inside the park homerun. Lima and Chochrek each then drove in runs with base hits, making the score 9-0 after three.

The Cougars wrapped up their scoring in the fourth when a Conway single chased home Eglow who got on base courtesy of a one-out single.

With the lead, Joshua Dobratz (Southington, Conn.) was in total control, tossing 7.1 innings, allowing just four hits and no earned runs while striking out six.

Emerson scored two unearned runs in the eighth and then four more in the ninth as Kyle Muhlfriedel (Los Angeles, Calif.), Cain and Connor Damiano (Randolph, N.J.) all had RBI singles.

Joseph Gouveia (Nashua, N.H.) allowed a sacrifice fly to Pablo Feldman (Mill Valley, Calif.) and after walk loaded the bases, he was able to strike out Liam Fitzmaurice (Quincy, Mass.) to secure the win for Clark and the series sweep.

Hutchinson led the charge offensively in the nightcap, collecting three hits while driving in three. Eglow had a pair of hits as did Dennis Glynn (Jamaica Plain, Mass.), who also scored two runs.

The Cougars are back in action on Tuesday with a home contest against MIT that starts at 3:30 p.m.