Babson Softball Grabs Game One from Wellesley; Game Two Halted with Blue Up 6-4

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Wellesley College softball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader to NEWMAC-foe Babson College, 7-4, in nine innings on Friday evening. Game two was halted due to darkness with the Blue leading 6-4 after four innings.

The loss dips Wellesley to 6-5, 0-1 in NEWMAC play, while Babson improves to 8-5, with a 1-0 start to its NEWMAC season. The second game will be completed at a date and time to be determined.

Babson came out on top in a wild first game that went nine innings and featured 12 runs. The Beavers got on the board first, as an Ashleigh Phelps single scored Lindsey Schmid in the top of the fourth. Wellesley answered in the bottom half of the inning, as Mara Blesoff laced a triple to right, that scored Jayne Ellis.

The game remained 1-1 until the top of the seventh, when a Catie Benoit sacrifice fly plated Katie Guido to make it 2-1. Again Wellesley answered, this time with a two-out single from Abby Casey, that scored Jaclyn Tsang to knot the game at 2-2.

Babson crept ahead in the top of the eighth, as a Wellesley miscue allowed Meghan Hayes to score to make it 4-3. After the error, the Beavers loaded the base with no outs, but the Blue forced two pop outs and a fly out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the eighth, Babson appeared to be have the game in hand, quickly getting the first two outs of the inning. However, a two-out single from Blesoff scored Lauren Goldfarb, who had been placed on second from the tiebreaker rule. 

Babson blew the game open in the top of the ninth inning, collecting four runs without the benefit of a hit. A Christa Shorette walk scored Catie Funk for the first run of the game, while Kathleen Conway reached on an error that scored Emily Morris to push it to 5-3. Another Wellesley error accounted for the final two runs of the inning, as Shorette and Phelps each scored to make it 7-3.

Wellesley had some life in the bottom of the ninth, but pushed across only two runs to set the final to 7-5. Wellesley's Jaclyn Tsang laced a double for the first Blue run of the inning, scoring Kimberly Cabral, while a Maria LaBouyer single scored Tsang to make it 7-5. With one on and one out, Babson's Conway then forced a pop out and a ground out to seal the victory.

Conway picked up her fourth win of the season, throwing nine innings allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. For Wellesley, Lindsay Johnson got the start, throwing six and two thirds, allowing two runs on six hits, with six walks and five strikeouts. Sarah Schwartzmeyer suffered the hard-luck loss, tossing two and a third innings, allowing five runs (all unearned) on no hits. 

Babson's offense was spread out as Guido put together a two-hit game, and four other Beavers added solo hits. Benoit, Phelps, and Shorette recorded RBI in the win.

Wellesley out-hit Babson 8-6, led by a 2-3 performance from Blesoff who also collected two RBI. Tsang collected a hit and an RBI while scoring two runs, while LaBouyer and Casey added RBI in the loss. 

In game two. Babson again struck first, opening a 3-0 lead after three. In the top of the first, the big hit came from Phelps as her single to left plated Funk and Morris for a 2-0 lead. The Beavers got another in the top of the third, as Funk blasted a homerun off of the scoreboard in left field to make it 3-0.

Wellesley took the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs on five hits. Ellis started the scoring with an RBI single that plated Casey, while a Carly Bresee single scored both Blesoff and Ellis. Emilyrose Havrilla then made it 4-3 Wellesley with an RBI single that scored Bresee. Babson pitcher Megan Brain then came on in relief to retire the Blue in the inning. 

The Beavers tied it at 4-4 with a run in the top of the fourth. Kelly King led off the inning with a walk and came around to score on a Morris single to center. Babson nearly took the lead after Funk knocked a single to center, but Wellesley's Casey gunned down the Beaver baserunner at the plate to preserve the tie.

Wellesley nabbed the lead once again in the bottom of the fourth, with a two-out rally that plated a pair. After two quick outs, Wellesley worked four-straight walks, as Goldfarb, Ellis, Blesoff and finally, Bresee earned bases on ball, with the last one sending home a run for the Blue. Wellesley then made it 6-4 after a Havrilla single scored Ellis.

Due to darkness, the game was halted with Wellesley ahead 6-4 after four innings of play. 

Wellesley is back in action tomorrow with a 12:00pm NEWMAC doubleheader at Coast Guard. Babson also plays a pair of NEWMAC games tomorrow, with Springfield coming to town for a 12:00pm start.