4-2 Victory in Game Two Helps Wellesley Softball To Senior Day Split Versus MIT

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College softball rallied for a 4-2 victory in game two to earn a split with visiting MIT in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader on Senior Day Saturday at the Wellesley Fields Complex. MIT rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win game one, 6-3.

Wellesley is now 17-8 overall, while MIT is 21-7 on the year. The teams remain tied in the conference standings at 11-5, with seeding for the conference tournament still up in the air heading into the final day of the regular season on Sunday.

Game One: MIT 6, Wellesley 3

Trailing 3-1 entering the seventh inning, MIT scored five runs on seven hits to take a 6-3 victory over Wellesley. 

Junior Jasmin Joseph (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and first year Devon Goetz (Rockville, Md.) had two hits apiece to lead the Engineers. First year Sarah Von Ahn (West Linn, Ore.) had a pair of RBIs and senior captain Ali Trueworthy (Rochester, N.H.) laced a double to drive home a run as part of the five-run seventh. In the circle, sophomore Ravenne Nasser (Methuen, Mass.) scattered seven hits and five walks in a complete game effort, giving up just three runs, one earned, and striking out five to improve to 11-4 on the season.

Senior Anna Pisac (Snohomish, Wash.) finished 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks and two RBIs to lead the Blue. Classmate Ashtyn Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) added a double and scored a run. Junior Julia Warner (Kenmore, Wash.), sophomore Veronica Locher (Walnut Creek, Calif.), and first years Autumn Brown (Marshfield, Mass.) and Kalei Oliver (Vista, Calif.) each recorded hits. Starter Madeline Bianchi (Lakeville, Minn.) gave up six runs; four earned, and struck out a pair to drop to 5-5 on the season.

Joseph reached base on an error to start the game, scoring later in the inning when Von Ahn singled through the right side. Pisac got the run back and added another in the home half of the frame, hitting her team-leading fifth triple of the year to drive in two runs, after Kendra Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) reached on an error and Ashtyn Coleman walked with one out in the inning.

The Blue carried the 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, where they loaded the bases on three-straight singles from Brown, Oliver and Locher. The next batter, Warner, grounded into a fielder's choice, but an MIT miscue at the plate allowed Brown to score and increase the MIT deficit to 3-1. With no outs and the bases loaded, Wellesley failed to get another run in the inning, as back-to-back infield groundouts saw runners cut down at the plate, before Ashtyn Coleman grounded out to end the inning.

Wellesley's missed opportunity in the bottom of the sixth opened the door for the Engineers and the visitors took full advantage. Sophomore Erika Anderson (Carlsbad, Calif.), pinch hitter Kim Veldee (Kirkland, Wash.) and senior Monica Shifflet (Poway, Calif.) all singled to start the inning. Joseph then singled through the right side of the infield, scoring Anderson, while Rosenthal scored on an error by right fielder Amanda Manning (Chico, Calif.) to tie the game. A bunt single from Natalie Shifflet (Poway, Calif.) put the visitors in the lead, 4-3, before Von Ahn added an RBI groundout later in the inning and Trueworthy capped the rally with an RBI double to left to score Amber VanHamel (Coconut Creek, Fla.) after she had come on as a runner for Natalie Shifflet.

Pisac and Brown both reached base with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Nasser got Oliver to ground into a double play to end the threat and the game.

Game Two: Wellesley 4, MIT 2

Pisac hit her fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Wellesley a 4-2 victory in game two. 

Pisac drove in two runs with her go-ahead blast in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kendra Coleman had two hits and a run scored for Wellesley, while Warner also collected two hits, including a double, in game two. Manning added a hit and scored a run and  Ashtyn Coleman and first year Kendall Smith (Turlock, Calif.) each hit doubles. Oliver added another RBI in game two, scoring Smith on a sacrifice fly to right. Sophomore Sydney Hopper (Newcastle, Wash.) pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits, two runs, both earned, and striking out three to improve to 6-1.

Anderson drove in both MIT runs in the second game, scoring Goetz with a single through the left side in the top of the second and Trueworthy with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning. Von Ahn and Goetz each tallied hits to lead the Engineers and Trueworthy ripped a double into the right centerfield gap in the fourth. Starter Deanna Delgado (Miami, Fla.) went 4.1 innings, and gave up four runs, three earned, to drop to 5-2 on the season.

Following a scoreless first, Anderson spotted MIT a 1-0 lead in the second. The Blue tied the score in the bottom of the third, when Smith reached on a bases loaded error with two-outs. The visitors immediately got the run back in the top of the 4th inning, again thanks to Anderson, but the Blue would go on to score the final three runs in the bottom of the fifth to win the game.

Kendra Coleman opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice from Ashtyn Coleman. Pisac then stepped in and lifted the go-ahead home run over the center field fence. Smith followed with a double, before VanHemel replaced Delgado in the circle. VanHemel got the visitors out of the inning, but allowed the inherited runner to score when Oliver hit a sacrifice fly to right later in the inning.

Hopper allowed a pair of runners to reach in the sixth inning, but got the help of a double play to get out of trouble. The sophomore starter then set down the Engineers 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th inning, striking out the final batter of the game to secure the win.  

Wellesley will travel to Springfield tomorrow, Sunday, April 23, in a crucial NEWMAC doubleheader at 12:00 PM. MIT will travel to first place WPI at 1:00 PM Sunday with the regular season title on the line.