Schwartzmeyer's Gem Leads Blue Softball to Sweep of Springfield

Springfield, Mass. - April 1, 2012 - The Wellesley College softball spoiled Springfield's home opener, sweeping the Pride on Sunday in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Potter Field. The Blue prevailed 2-1 in 10 innings in the opener before taking the second contest, 6-1, in a game that was shortened due to rain.

The victory boosts Wellesley's record to 7-9, 3-1 in league play while the Pride fall to 8-5 2-2.

The opening game of the doubleheader was a marathon, lasting over two and a half hours and featuring a pair of dominating pitchers. For Wellesley, Sarah Schwartzmeyer had a sensational performance on the mound, striking out 14 batters and scattering seven hits. Springfield's Ashley Marino, who hurled a no-hitter her last time out, finished with four strikeouts as she gave up nine hits.

Neither team was able to scratch out runs until extra innings. Both squads did have prime scoring opportunities in the early going, but the strong arms of Springfield's Kelsey Dunn and Wellesley's Abby Casey kept the game scoreless.  Casey threw out Springfield's Amy Entel at the plate in the second inning and snuffed out a late Pride rally in the sixth getting, throwing Kasey Kelly out at home. Dunn kept the Blue off the scoreboard in the fourth on a great throw from left field to get pinch runner Rachael Goldenberg at the plate.

In the top of the eighth, Kimberly Cabral's single to left field allowed Schwartzmeyer to score for third to put Wellesley up 1-0.

The Pride answered with their own run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the game.  After pinch runner Allison McCarthy advanced to third on a sac bunt by Tess Gagliano, Christina Leader roped a single into left to even things at one run apiece.

After a scoreless ninth inning, Wellesley's Cabral put Wellesley ahead in the 10^th with a two-out single. Her hard shot up the middle was fielded by Kelly, but the throw was late at first, allowing Phoebe Walsh-Costello to score from third. Schwartzmeyer closed out the Pride by striking out the side in the 10th.

In the second game, which was played in constant rain, Lauren Goldfarb started the things off with a bang, sending a screaming shot over the centerfield fence for a lead off home run.

In the top of the third, Cabral drew a two-out walk and would come around to score after Jayne Ellis smashed a double into center field to make it a 2-0 game. Springfield got a run back in the bottom half of the frame.  Kelly Blake turned on a pitch and knocked a solo home run to left field for her second round-tripper of the season.

Wellesley benefited from a pair of Springfield errors in the fourth to score three more runs, increasing the lead to 5-1.  Mariah Philips reached on an error to lead off the inning, and after Mara Blesoff singled up the middle, the duo moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Jennifer Migliore. Philips then scored on an error, and pinch runner Goldenberg came around to score on a wild pitch. Casey, who reached on a fielder's choice, accounted for the Blue's third run of the frame as she scored on a Goldfarb ground out.

Blesoff cracked an RBI double off the left field fence in the fifth, allowing Ellis, who recorded a double earlier in the inning, to score for the game's final run. 

Springfield had started to mount a rally in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs. However, due to heavy rain, the field was deemed unplayable, thus ending the game with the score after the last completed inning, the fifth.

The Pride's Jen Joseph lost for the first time this season, giving up three earned runs off five hits, while striking out three. She walked two and had a pair of wild pitches. Her counterpart, Lindsay Johnson, picked up the win for Wellesley after hurling five innings of four-hit ball. She struck out four, walked, three, and had two wild pitches as well.

Springfield will play again on Tuesday afternoon when it hosts Eastern Connecticut for the doubleheader beginning at 3:30 pm. Wellesley is back in action on Wednesday, hosting Lesley in the team's home opener at 3:00pm.