Blue Softball Downs Colby, Wis.-Stout to Improve to 3-1 in Clermont, Fla.

CLERMONT, Fla. – Wellesley College softball used a pair of standout pitching performances to earn back-to-back victories on Saturday at the Spring Games at the Legends Way Ballfields. The Blue defeated Colby College, 6-1, in the team's opening game before downing the University of Wisconsin-Stout, 4-1, in the afternoon. Wellesley is now 3-1 overall.

Game 1 | Wellesley 6, Colby 1 | Final 

First year Hayley Moniz (Westfield, Mass.) gave-up nine hits and two walks but only surrendered one earned run over seven innings to earn her first collegiate victory in a 6-1 Wellesley win over Colby. 

The Blue scored three runs in the top of the first and in the top of the seventh in support of Moniz, as sophomore Gen Brittingham (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), and juniors Autumn Brown (Marshfield, Mass.) and Kendall Smith (Turlock, Calif.) each finished 2-for-4 from the dish. Brittingham and Smith each drove in a pair of runs, with Brittingham also coming around to score each time she reached base.

Moniz walked to lead off the game before scoring the first run of the game on an RBI single from classmate Marissa Hensch (Carlsbad, Calif.). Brittingham followed Hensch with a single, and Brown reached on a fielder's choice, replacing Hensch on the base paths before Smith gave the Blue a 3-0 lead with a double to the left field fence.

Moniz and Colby starter Wiley Holton (Dedham, Mass.) locked in for the next five and half innings, pitching matching scoreless frames until the game advanced to the seventh inning. The Blue added to their advantage in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits, as Brittingham drove in a pair with a two RBI single, later coming around to score on a double off the bat of Brown.

Colby broke-up Moniz's shutout bid in the bottom half of the inning when first year Ashley Ketchum (Tucson, Ariz.) singled to drive home junior Carly Swartz (North Reading, Mass.) with one away. First year Paige Bober (Whitinsville, Mass.) finished the game 3-for-3 to lead the Mules. Holton went the distance, giving up 11 hits and six runs (all earned) in the loss (0-1). 

Game 2 | Wellesley 4, Wis.–Stout 1 | Final

Wellesley senior Sydney Hopper (Newcastle, Wash.) earned her second victory in as many days (2-0) in Clermont, as the Blue veteran struck out eight batters and gave up just six hits and no earned runs over seven innings of work in a 4-1 victory over Wis.-Stout.

Stout scored their only run in the top of the first inning when sophomore Meghan Kelly (Lockport, IL) lifted a bases loaded sacrifice fly into centerfield to score first year Korin Hall (Farmington, Minn.). Hall was 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead Stout. Despite surrendering the early run, Hopper would work her way out of the jam to keep the score 1-0. Wellesley got the run back off the bat of Brittingham in the bottom half of the first, when the Blue sophomore doubled to the gap to score Hensch with two outs. Brittingham would finish the contest 2-for-4 to record her fourth straight multi-hit game to start the season.

Hopper continued to work around trouble for the rest of the contest, as the Blue Devils stranded 10 runners in the contest, leaving the bases loaded in both the second and third innings. Hopper posted a pair of 1-2-3 frames in the fourth and seventh innings.

Still tied at 1-1 after four scoreless frames, the Blue offense got three across the board in support of Hopper in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Hensch walked and Brittingham followed with a single. Hensch then came around to score on a Colby throwing error that allowed Holly Chin (Newton, Mass.) to reach base. Both Chin and Brittingham scored one batter later when first year Jill O'Shea emptied the bases with a double to left centerfield that gave the Blue a 4-1 edge.

Stout junior Kim Labahn (Lake Geneva, Wis.) pitched 5.2 innings, giving up just three hits while striking out three, but did not factor in the decision. Kelly was tagged with the loss giving up three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Blue Devils.

Wellesley will continue the Spring Games on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM. The Blue will take on nationally ranked Wis.-Whitewater, followed by an 11:00 AM match-up with Buffalo State.