Blue Softball Drops A Pair of One Run Games to Babson

BABSON PARK, Mass. – Host Babson College won a pair of one-run contests over Wellesley College softball in a NEWMAC doubleheader at Alumni Field on Friday.

Wellesley first year Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) struck out five in 6.1 innings during game one for the Blue (13-15 Overall, 5-7 NEWMAC). Classmate Anisa Rodriguez (La Quinta, Calif.) smacked the first long ball of her collegiate career with a solo shot in game two.

Senior Moira O'Reilly (Columbus, Ohio) went the distance with nine punch outs in game one for the Beavers (15-14 Overall, 6-6 NEWMAC). 

Game 1 | Babson 2, Wellesley 1 | Final

After Wicker and O'Reilly dueled it out in the circle for most of the game, senior Molly Hennessy was the hero for Babson with a single to short right that plated the walk-off run.

First year Emily Walsh (Flemington, N.J.) drove in Babson's first run in the top of the first. Welsh scored grad student Michaela Russell (Boston, Mass.) with a deep double down the right field line.

The Blue got on the board in the top of the seventh. First year Jillian Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.) led off the inning with a long double to right center. Colgan advanced to third on the second out of the inning. Down to the final out, first year Emily Kulhanek (Newbury Park, Calif.) slapped a single to right that brought Colgan home.

The Beavers regained composure to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh. First year Charlotte Raymond (Wrentham, Mass.) crushed a center field double to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt advanced Raymond to third. Hennessy's hit scored Raymond and gave the Beavers the win in game one.

Wicker held Babson to six team hits. O'Reilly limited Wellesley to five baserunners in seven innings of work.

Game 2 | Babson 3, Wellesley 2 | Final

First year pitcher Kate Vlacich (Concord, N.H.) tossed seven innings of two-run ball to help Babson complete the sweep.

Junior Athena Hadjipanayis (Rye, N.Y.) put the Beavers up 1-0 in the first inning with an RBI infield single. Wicker responded for the Blue with an RBI single of her own in the top of the third.

Babson tacked on two runs in the bottom half of third. Walsh singled to center and an error in the outfield scored Russell. Later in the inning, Walsh came home on a ground out to shortstop from Hadjipanayis.

Rodriguez made it a one-run game in the fourth with a homer over the left field fence to make it a 3-2 contest.

Neither team scored again in the game. Wellesley got a runner to second in the top of the seventh but Vlacich forced a ground out to earn a sixth win of the year.

Colgan struck out a trio of hitters in six innings for Wellesley. Each team registered six base hits.

Both teams are on the road for NEWMAC doubleheaders tomorrow. The Blue will play at 12 & 2 PM at MIT. The Beavers face Emerson at 1:30 & 3:30 PM.