Wellesley Softball Tops Eastern Connecticut, Falls to #6 Tufts

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Wellesley College softball team split a pair of games on Sunday, falling to #6 Tufts University, 6-2, but rebounding with a 4-3 win over Eastern Connecticut State. Tufts also earned a 5-4 eight-inning victory over Eastern in the middle game of the tripleheader at Wellesley.

The split moves Wellesley to 15-7 overall, while Tufts improves to 22-2. Eastern sees its mark dip to 13-7.

Tufts 6, Wellesley 2 - In game one, Tufts used a solid offensive effort and strong pitching to get past Wellesley, 6-2. The Jumbos pounded out 13 total hits, while Aly Moskowitz earned the win, moving to 6-0 on the season. She threw seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and six walks.

The Jumbos strung together five singles between the first two innings, with RBI hits from Emily Beinecke and Abby Curran. Tufts extended its lead with three runs in the top of the fourth, as Jo Clair doubled in a pair and Beinecke added a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.

Tufts added to its lead with another run in the top of the sixth, as Beinecke's double came around to score on a single from Kayla Holland.

Wellesley picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 6-2. Mariah Philips knocked home the first Blue run with a single to right, before a fielder's choice from Maria LaBouyer played Emilyrose Havrilla.

The Blue got a double from Jayne Ellis in the bottom of the seventh, but she was stranded at third, setting the final to 6-2 Tufts.

Five Jumbos recorded-multi hit efforts, led by Beinecke and Clair who each picked up two hits, two RBI and a run scored. Sarah Hedtler, Holland, and Curran also added two hits each to pace the Tufts offense.

Wellesley's Carly Bresee and Philips recorded two hits each, while Lauren Goldfarb suffered the loss to move to 3-1. She tossed seven innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on 13 hits with five walks and two strikeouts. 

Tufts 5, Eastern 4 (8) - In game two, Tufts grabbed an extra-innings victory over Eastern Connecticut State. The Jumbos scored the tying run in the eighth and then took the lead for good in the top of the eighth with a pinch-hit RBI single from Kris Parr.

Eastern struck first, plating two in the bottom of the first frame. A leadoff single from Arielle Cooper came around to score on a bases loaded walk to Megan Godwin. A sacrifice fly from Mattie Brett then drove in Alyssa Hancock for the second Warrior run.

Tufts got solo runs in the top of the third, fourth and fifth innings to take 3-2 lead. In the third, Bri Keenan led off the inning with a double and later scored on a throwing error. In the fourth, a solo homerun off the bat of Holland knotted things at 2-2. Tufts then took over the lead in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with three infield singles and scoring on a wild pitch.

Eastern answered with a pair in the bottom half of the fifth, as a walk to Alicia White came around to score on an inside the park homerun from Godwin.

Tufts tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh as a Holland double scored Beinecke. The Jumbos then took the lead on Parr's single in the bottom of the eighth and sealed the win with a slick fielding play from Brett to gun the tying run at the plate.

Clair led the Jumbos with a 3-for-4 performance, while Holland finished with two hits and two RBI. In the circle for Tufts, Allyson Fournier earned her 10th win of the season, throwing three innings of one-hit ball. Erica County got the start, throwing five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits.

For Eastern, Cooper collected three hits, while Godwin added a hit and three RBI. Shannon Martin was saddled with the loss, throwing three and a third innings, allowing two runs (one earned0 on three hits. Christine Akcer started the game, going four and two thirds, allowing two earned runs off of eight hits. 

Wellesley 4, Eastern 3 - Wellesley nabbed game three from Eastern, fending off a late Warrior rally to salvage a split. After going up 4-0, Wellesley allowed three unearned runs in the top of the seventh, but held on for a 4-3 victory.

The Blue scored a pair in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead. LaBouyer drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly that scored Kimberly Cabral, while Bresee notched an RBI single for the second run of the frame.

Wellesley extended the lead to 4-0 on a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Mara Blesoff's RBI single scored the first run, driving in Lauren Goldfarb, while Jayne Ellis scored on a failed pickoff attempt to make it 4-0.

Eastern struck for three unearned runs in the top of the sixth to make it a 4-3 game. Three straight RBI singles from Martin, Stephanie Johnson and Cooper drove in runs after a Wellesley miscue to cut into the Blue's lead. Wellesley reliever Lindsay Johnson then forced a groundout to stop the bleeding.

The Warriors led off the top of the seventh with a pop-up from White that dropped in front of three Wellesley players for an infield single. The Blue then regained momentum turning a 6-4-3 to erase the mistake, and finally forced a foul-out to lock up the 4-3 win.

Bresee recorded a pair of hits and an RBI to lead Wellesley, while Blesoff and Havrilla also drove in runs. Sarah Schwartzmeyer picked up the win, throwing five and two-thirds, allowing three runs (all unearned) on nine hits. Johnson earned the save, throwing an inning and a third, allowing just an infield single.

Eastern was led by 2-for-2 performances from Cooper and Martin, who each drove in runs.

Wellesley returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Endicott for a pair of games beginning at 3:00pm. Eastern Connecticut will play two at Trinity on Tuesday, while Tufts is off until Friday when they begin a three-game NESCAC series at Trinity.