Wellesley Softball Holds Off Late WPI Rally To Advance To NEWMAC Championship Round

NORTON, Mass. -- Fifth-seeded Wellesley College softball held on to take a 5-4 victory over third-seeded WPI on Day Two of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Wheaton College's Clark Field. 

The Blue improve to 21-13 overall and are now only one win away from capturing Wellesley's second consecutive NEWMAC Title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Wellesley will play on Sunday at 12:00 PM versus the winner of tomorrow's first game. WPI will face-off with either top-seeded Wheaton or second-seeded MIT at 10:00 AM depending on the outcome of today's final game. 

With Wellesley unable to score in the top of the first inning, despite two hits, starter Madeline Bianchi (Lakeville, Minn.) picked up a pair of quick outs in the bottom of the inning before WPI sophomore Kristin Gallagher (Coventry, R.I.) gave the Engineers an early 1-0 advantage with a solo home run to right.

The game advanced to the third inning before Wellesley took its first lead. The Blue loaded the bases to open the inning as Amanda Manning (Durham, Calif.) doubled to right center, Carly Bresee (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) singled through the right side and Jaclyn Tsang (Manalapan, N.J.) walked. WPI then picked up an out, throwing out Manning at the plate when senior Maria LaBouyer (Yuba City, Calif.) grounded into a fielder's choice. With the bases still loaded, Ashtyn Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) singled to left to score Bresee. Tsang came across for the Blue's second run thanks to a WPI error. 

WPI would battle back to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kelsey Saucier (Worcester, Mass.) opened the home half of the inning with a single, but ultimately made her way to second due to a Wellesley error on the play. With Julia Ring (Leominster, Mass.) on second, after pinch running for Saucier, the Engineers advanced the sophomore to third with a sacrifice. First year Nina Murphy-Cook (Roseville, Calif.) then brought home Ring with an infield single to make the score 2-2. 

The Blue recorded two quick outs in the top of the sixth inning before stringing together four hits and an intentional walk to score three times and take a 5-2 lead. Bresee started the rally with a double down the right field line. Tsang then singled through the left side before LaBouyer brought home the first run of the inning with a single up the middle. Following an intentional pass to Ashtyn Coleman, senior Emilyrose Havrilla (Caldwell, N.J.) singled to center to bring in the final two runs of the inning. 

WPI mounted a final rally in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases on a single from Jacquelyne DiTroia (Andover, Mass.), a walk to Murphy-Cook and base hit from Ama Biney (Worcester, Mass.). Gallagher then drove in her second run of the contest, ripping the ball down the right field line to make the score 5-3. Senior Katie Bumila (Raynham, MA) then lifted a sacrifice fly to right to cut the deficit to one. 

With the tying run on third and the winning run on second, Bianchi set down the next two batters in order, with a strikeout and a ground out, to improve to 13-7 on the season and advance Wellesley to the championship round.