Blue Softball Takes One of Two from Emerson in Season Finale

BOSTON, Mass. – Wellesley College softball finished the regular season with a win and a loss against Emerson College in a pair of NEWMAC games on Friday at Rotch Field.

First year Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) was firing on cylinders for the Blue (16-22 Overall, 7-13 NEWMAC), striking out a dozen batters, including her 100th of the season, over seven innings and only allowing five total baserunners in game one. Wicker became the fourth student-athlete in program history to hit the century mark for strikeouts in a single season. Classmate Emily Kulhanek (Newbury Park, Calif.) had four hits and five RBIs over the two games. 

Senior Claire Overton (Wayne, Pa.) had four hits and three RBIs to help the Lions (14-18 Overall, 5-13 NEWMAC) earn a win.

Game 1 | Wellesley 6, Emerson 1 | Final

In addition to throwing a gem, Wicker also went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored. Classmate Jillian Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Kulhanek each recorded three hits. Colgan scored a trio of runs with an RBI. Kulhanek drove in a pair of runs.

After three scoreless innings from both sides, Kulhanek gave the Blue its first run by driving in Colgan with a single to right in the fourth. Wellesley added two more runs in the sixth. Sophomore Chiara Lundin (Piedmont, Calif.) put one on the board with a single to center. Kulhanek followed up with a hit down the right field line to make it 3-0.

The Blue brought it to 6-0 in the top of the seventh. Wicker started the scoring by driving in senior Julz Vargas (Los Angeles, Calif.) with a double to left center. Wicker later crossed the plate on an infield single by Colgan. A single up the middle by Lundin made it 6-0 for Wellesley.

Emerson scored its lone run in the bottom half of the seventh. Overton drilled a double to deep center field. Overton advanced home on a single up the middle by junior Jessica Gomez (West Chester, Pa.).

Gomez threw a complete game for the Lions, with five punchouts and 10 hits allowed.

Game 2 | Emerson 8, Wellesley 7 | Final (8 Inn.)

Overton went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, including a walkoff single in the bottom of the eighth, to give the Lions game two.

Wellesley led 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh. A throwing error allowed Lions junior Mackenzie Rice (Severna Park, Md.) to come home. Gomez then singled in a second run to knot the game up at 6-6 after seven innings of action.

Wellesley scored a run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.). Emerson junior Grace Beaulieu (Rochester, N.H.) tied the game up at 7-7 with an infield single. Overton then singled in the winning run.

Back in the first inning, Kulhanek drove in two more runs on a single down the left field line. The Lions halved its deficit with a one-run double from Riley Caiazza (Schaghticoke, N.Y.).

A Kulhanek ground out to shortstop brought Colgan home in the top of the third. Emerson responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to grab a 4-3 advantage. Overton singled in a run through the left side. She later came home on a two-run homer to dead center by Makenzie Killough (Attleboro, Mass.). 

Wellesley retook the lead with a trio of runs in the sixth. After the Lions walked the bases loaded, Vargas drove in a run with a single to right. Colgan and Lundin both drew walks, bringing home two more runs and setting up the Lions' late game rally.

First year Caleigh Sheehan (Bolton, Conn.) struck out four over 5.2 innings of work for Emerson. Gomez picked up the win while allowing two hits in 2.1 innings of relief. Wicker fanned two in two innings for the Blue. Colgan struck out five in 5.2 innings.

Emerson won the battle of the hits 13-6 in game two.