Softball Posts Sweep Over Smith College

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- The Wellesley College softball team swept a doubleheader against New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opponent Smith College. The Blue took the opener, 12-2 and then completed the sweep with a 10-3 victory in game two. Wellesley ups its record to 14-8, and 4-2 in NEWMAC play, while Smith fell to 1-22 and 0-10 in the NEWMAC.

In the opener, Wellesley scored early and often, wrapping up the 12-2 victory in five innings.

The Blue opened with four runs in the top of the first, two off of a single from Samantha Spiga. In the bottom half of the inning, Smith's Kirstie Beaton and Chelsie Biluck each contributed RBI singles to cut the lead to 4-2.

However, from that point on it was all Wellesley. The Blue got four more runs in each of the second and third innings to pull away with the mercy-rule victory.

Offensively, Mara Blesoff had three RBI for Wellesley while Lauren Goldfarb added three hits.  Lindsay Johnson tossed a complete game seven hitter, striking out five. 

For Smith, Clark and Abagael Shrader split time in the circle for Smith - Tessa Clark went 2.1 innings and allowed 12 runs, of which only five were earned.  Shrader pitched 2.2 innings of hitless relief. Offensively, Smith got two hits and an RBI from Beaton.

In game two, the Blue took a 2-0 lead courtesy of a passed ball that scored Goldfarb and an RBI single from Brittany Bakacs.  Smith responded in the bottom of the second; with one out, Kaitlyn O'Brien drew a walk, and Kathryn Durkin was hit by a pitch to set the table for Brittany Purington, who crushed a three run homer to left field that gave the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.

Wellesley tied the game in the top of the third with an RBI groundout from Sinta Cebrian that plated Goldfarb, and took the lead for good on a solo homer to center field by Blesoff in the fourth inning.

The Blue tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and a grand slam by Jayne Ellis gave the Blue a 10-3 lead.  Smith managed three hits in the game, including Sarah Goodman's third double of the season.

Cebrian, Bakacs, Blesoff, and Ellis each collected a pair of hits for Wellesley, who received a nine strikeout, complete game effort from pitcher Sarah Schwartzmeyer.

Smith will continue their NEWMAC schedule with a doubleheader date at Babson College tomorrow at noon.  Wellesley will be at WPI, also on Saturday at noon.