Blue Softball Splits NEWMAC Doubleheader with Smith

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Wellesley College softball team split a NEWMAC doubleheader on the road at Smith College on Saturday. The Blue picked up a 9-0, five-inning win in game one, while Smith took a tight game two, 5-3. 

Smith handed Wellesley its first NEWMAC loss of the season and, in the process, snapped the guest's nine-game winning streak. Wellesley now stands at 11-7 overall, 7-1 in the NEWMAC, while Smith is 10-7, 4-6 in the NEWMAC.

Wellesley jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opener as Emilyrose Havrilla tucked a grand slam just inside the left field line. After a double and a single, Martucci and the defense then set down the next five Blue batters in order.

The Blue added two more in the third as Havrilla doubled through the right side to plate Jayne Ellis and later scored on an RBI ground out by Kendra Coleman. The guests then picked up three more tallies in the fifth as Kendra Coleman connected on an RBI single to right and Anna Pisac used a 2-RBI single to give Wellesley the 9-0 advantage.

Brown broke up the no-hit bid with a short grounder down the first base line in the fourth. Martucci and Natalie Burchat shared time in the circle for the Pioneers.

Kendra Coleman (two runs, two RBI), Ellis and Havrilla each had a pair of hits in the win while Havrilla produced five RBI. Pisac added two RBI as Ellis scored three times. Lindsay Johnson struck out seven – all swinging - in the victory.

In game two, Tori Brown's sixth-inning two-run blast proved to be the difference as Smith rallied for the split.

Down 3-2, with two outs and runners on the corners, in the bottom of the sixth, Brittney Blokker and Joanna Giordano executed a double steal to even the game at 3-3. Brown sent the next pitch over the fence in left center to give the Pioneers the 5-3 lead.

Wellesley's Ashtyn Coleman opened the contest with a single up the middle. Jaclyn Tsang  followed with a two-run shot down the left field line for the early 2-0 lead. Two batters later, Ellis used a solo homerun to make it a 3-0 ballgame.

Smith slowly chipped away as Blokker drove in Giordano in the bottom of the third and Kushner plated Blokker in the fifth.

The Pioneer's Edie Richardson went 2-for-3 as Brown drove in a pair and Blokker crossed home plate twice. Martucci (9-3) surrendered three runs – all in the first – and struck out three in the complete-game victory.

Ellis batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead Wellesley at the plate. Maria LaBouyer  had a 2-for-4 day while Coleman was 2-for-3. Tsang accounted for a pair of RBI. Amber Braun  allowed two runs – one earned – on six hits in 4 1/3 as Johnson went the final 1 2 /3.

The Pioneers travel to Westfield State on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. Wellesley heads to Coast Guard for a conference set tomorrow at noon.