Bats Power Blue Softball to Split of NEWMAC Doubleheader at Babson

WELLESLEY, Mass -- First year Marisa Hensch (Carlsbad, Calif.) and junior Kendall Smith (Turlock, Calif.) each hit home runs in game two to help Wellesley College softball split a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader with Babson College on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Beavers earned a 10-2 victory in six innings in game one before Wellesley bounced back with a 7-2 win in game two.

Wellesley is now 5-6 overall and 1-2 in the NEWMAC. Babson is an even 8-8 on the season and 4-2 overall in conference. Wellesley's win in game two snapped a three game win streak for the Beavers over the Blue.

Game 1 | Babson 10, Wellesley 2 | Final - 6 innings

Wellesley jumped out to an early 1-0 in the top of the first inning, but could not contain the Babson offense, as the Beavers answered right back in the bottom half of the inning and did not look back in a 10-2 win in six innings.

Babson's 15 hit attack on offense was led by sophomore Jamie Hoffman (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), who finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and senior Josephine Mares (Houston, Texas), who also went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot while scoring three runs.

The Beavers picked up runs in each of the first three innings, highlighted by a Jamie Hoffman triple down the right field line in the third inning that scored two runs. Hoffman would soon score on a wild pitch to complete the scoring. Babson collected four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that ended the contest on a Hoffman single that allowed first year Marlee Hamor (Beverly, Mass.) to cross the plate for the winning run.

Junior Brooke Stock (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) picked up her fifth win (5-3) on the year in the circle, pitching all six innings while allowing four hits, two runs, two walks and picking up seven strikeouts. Senior Sydney Hopper (Newcastle, Wash.) got the start for the Blue and picked up the loss, moving her to 3-4 on the year, going 1.1 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.

Sophomore Gen Brittingham (Aliso Viego, Calif.) recorded both Blue RBIs, when she singled up the middle to score Hench and then picked up the second RBI in the top of the third inning when she reached on a fielder's choice that Smith. Smith was 2-for-3 in the top spot of the lineup for the Blue in game one.

Game 2 | Wellesley 7, Babson 2 | Final

Smith homered to lead off the game and Hensch followed with a two-run blast later in the inning as Wellesley earned a split with a 7-2 victory in game two.

Smith led off the first with her second home run of the season, sending a solo shot to right to make the score 1-0. Sophomore Alyssa Hana (La Mirada, Calif.) then reached base on an error before Hensch hit the first home run of her career over the left field fence. Smith would go on to finish the game 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, while Hensch was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Wellesley added to their lead in the top of the third inning, as starter Hayley Moniz (Westfield, Mass.) doubled to left with one-on and two out to make the score 4-0. Moniz also pitched all seven innings in the victory, working around seven hits and giving up two unearned runs to improve to 2-2 on the year.

Babson got on the board in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs on three hits and a Wellesley error to cut the deficit to 4-2. Mares opened the inning with a single before moving to third when senior Ashley Tango (Reading, Mass.) reached on a single and advanced to second on a Blue miscue. Mares scored on a passed ball to make the score 1-0 before Tango came around on an Isabel Aguilar (Avon, Conn.) RBI single later in the inning.

After two scoreless innings, the Blue added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Smith singled to left to drive in her second run of the game in the sixth. Sophomore Julianne Griffin (Blue Bell, Pa.) and first year Holly Chin (Newton, Mass.) then delivered back-to-back RBI hits in the seventh to put the game out of reach, as Griffin doubled to score sophomore Lucy Cheskin (Mountain View, Calif.) before coming home to score on a single from Chin. Griffin finished game two 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks.

Wellesley will host Brandies in a non-conference doubleheader scheduled for April 3 at 3:00 PM, while the Beavers welcome NEWMAC foe Smith College on April 5 at 3:00 PM