Blue Softball Tops Western Conn., Falls To Williams To Open 2016 Season

CLERMONT, Fla. -- Junior Anna Pisac (Snohomish, Wa.) hit a pair of home runs and senior Carly Bresee (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) collected the 100th hit of her collegiate career as Wellesley College softball downed Western Connecticut State University, 9-5, before falling to Williams College, 7-6, at Hancock Park.

The Blue open the 2016 campaign with a 1-1 record, while Western Connecticut drops to 4-5 overall and Williams starts the season 1-0 following today's action.

Wellesley 9, Western Connecticut State 5

Bresee recorded a game-high three hits as the Blue capitalized on a series of Western Connecticut miscues to take a 9-5 victory in their season opener.

The Colonials posted three runs in the top of the first inning. With Alexandra LaFemina (East Haddam, Conn.) on third after opening the game with a leadoff walk, senior Erin Weber (Rocky Hill, Conn.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate the junior. Back-to-back walks to sophomore Kayla Nowak (North Branford, Conn.) and senior Michaela Roche (Bristol, Conn.) set up the remaining WCSU runs, as Nowak swiped second and third before scoring on a passed ball and Roche scored on an RBI single from first year Hannah Dunlap (Batavia, N.Y.).

Wellesley got all three runs back on one swing in the bottom of the inning, tying the game when Pisac hit a towering shot that landed just beyond the centerfield fence. 

The Blue then put the game away in the bottom of the second inning,taking advantage of five Western Connecticut errors to jump to a 9-3 lead. With one away, sophomore Ines Borromeo (Muntinlupa, Philippines) singled to right before ending up on third when the ball escaped to the fence. Borromeo scored when another error allowed senior Jaclyn Tsang (Manalapan, N.J.) to reach first.

Tsang and Bresee would also score on errors in the inning before Pisac added her fourth RBI with a single to center. After reaching earlier in the inning on an error, junior Ashtyn Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) added the fifth Wellesley run on a double-steal. First year Veronica Locher (Walnut Creek, Calif.) then capped the rally with her first career hit, giving the Blue a 9-3 advantage with an RBI single to left.

WCSU starting pitcher Alle Sabith (Meriden, Conn.) got two runs back with an RBI single in the top of the third but Wellesley starter Madeline Bianchi (Lakeville, Minn.) surrendered only two hits after the third inning to earn her first win of the season. Sabith dropped to 2-2, pitching the opening 1.1 innings before giving way to senior classmate Emily Cintorino (Bristol, Conn.).

Williams 7, Wellesley 6

The Blue got out to a 6-0 lead in the second game of the day, only to see Williams rally to score seven unanswered to take a 7-6 victory.

Bresee opened the game with the first of her team-high two hits, singling through the left side to record the 100th hit of her Wellesley career. With Manning unable to reach, Astyn Coleman walked to send Pisac to the plate with two aboard. In a repeat performance from game one, Pisac delivered a three-run home run, this time to right center, to plate the game's first three runs.

Wellesley continued to add to their lead in the next inning. After starter Julia Warner (Kenmore, Wa.) held the Ephs scoreless in the first, the Blue added three more runs on three hits and an error in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead. Borromeo reached on an error to open the inning, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tsang, and to third on a single from Bresee. Borromeo then scored when Manning singled up the middle for her first RBI of the year. Astyn Coleman followed with Wellesley's second homer in as many innings, tagging the ball over the left centerfield fence to plate Bresee.

The contest advanced to the bottom of the fifth inning with Wellesley continuing to hold a 6-0 advantage. The Ephs escaped a two-on, two-out scenario in the top of the fifth only to get all six runs back in the bottom half of the frame, scoring six runs on seven hits to tie the contest.

Priscilla Pino (Cerritos, Calif.), Lexi Curt (Moorpark, Calif.), Kacey Cramer (Houston, Texas) and Brenna Martinez (Arvada, Colo.) all collected RBI hits before first year Jessica Kim (Tustin, Calif.) tied the score with a two-RBI single.

The game advanced to the seventh inning with the score still tied at 6-6. Ashtyn Coleman opened the seventh with a lead-off walk for the Blue before Pisac drove a ball to the top of the centerfield fence only to see Williams senior Amanda Siedem (Longmont, Colo.) catch the drive as she crashed over the fence. With Wellesley unable to capitalize on the lead-off walk, Williams took advantage in the bottom of the inning.

Senior Melissa Cendejas (Rosemead, Calif.) opened the inning with a one-out single, before being replaced at first by first year Alejandra Magana (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.). Junior Alison Michalik followed with a double to right field to give the Ephs two-on with one away. Senior Taylor Donze (South Hadley, Mass.) struck out before senior Erica Li (Salt Lake City, Utah) lifted the game-winning hit into centerfield to plate Magana and complete the Williams comeback.

Wellesley will continue play at Hancock Park tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM in a match-up with No. 5 Tufts University. The Blue will also play Hope College at 11:00 AM.