Blue Softball Shuts Down Emerson

WELLESLEY, Mass.-- Wellesley College softball swept to pair of shutout victories over visiting Emerson College on Wednesday evening in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action at the Wellesley Outdoor Fields Complex. The Blue earned a 7-0 victory in game one and a 3-0 victory in game two. 

Wellesley improves to 13-9, and 6-5 NEWMAC, with their fourth consecutive conference victory. Emerson is now 2-12 in conference games and 11-16 overall. 

Game One: Wellesley 7, Emerson 0 

In game one, Wellesley first year starter Madeline Bianchi (Lakeville, Minn) pitched a complete game, striking out five and surrendering only three hits to improve to 8-5 on the season. 

All nine members of the Wellesley line-up recorded at least one hit in game one, as the Blue jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Carly Bresee (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Mariah Philips (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Maria LaBouyer (Yuba City, Calif.) all singled to open the contest, loading the bases for Kendra Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.). The Blue sophomore then plated Bresee with the fourth straight Wellesley single to put a run on the board. 

Emerson picked up a pair of outs on the next two batters, but the Blue tacked on more with an Ashtyn Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) RBI groundout to take a 2-0 advantage. Sophomore Anna Pisac (Snohomish, Wa.) then drove in two more runs with the Blue's fifth base hit of the inning to make the score 4-0.

The Blue put runners on in both the second and third innings but were unable to add to their advantage until the fourth, when LaBoyer doubled to the right centerfield gap to score first year Amanda Manning (Durham, Calif.) from second. 

Leading 5-0, the Blue increased their advantage to 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Emilyrose Havrilla (Caldwell, N.J.) singled to the left side to open the inning, scoring on the next batter when Ashtyn Coleman doubled to left centerfield. Ashtyn Coleman would later come around to score the final Wellesley run when Abby Casey (Milford, Conn.) got caught in a rundown after hitting a single to left. 

For Emerson, starter Samantha Corey  (Londonderry, N.H.) and Casey Tsamis (Colchester, Conn.) both pitched three innings in the circle, with Corey dropping to 3-10 with the result. 

Game Two: Wellesley 3, Emerson 0  

Bresee opened game two with a walk before advancing to third when a Jaclyn Tsang Manalapan, N.J.) bunt single led to an Emerson throwing error. Tsang then took second with a stolen base before Bresee made her way home on an RBI groundout from LaBouyer. 

With Tsang on third, Kendra Coleman lifted a single to left field to drive home the Blue junior for the second Wellesley run. 

The two-run advantage would prove to be more than enough for first year starter Julia Warner (Kenmore, Wa.), as she cruised through game two, scattering three hits over seven innings and striking out three to earn her fifth victory of the season (5-4). 

The Blue would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Bresee sent a two-out double to centerfield to score Philips all the way from first base. Bresee finished with a hit, an RBI and a run scored in game two, while Philips, Manning and Kendra Coleman all registered three hits for the Blue. 

In the top of the seventh, Warner set down the Lions in order for the fourth time in the contest to close out the win. 

First year Alexis Ellis-Alvarez (Santee, Calif.) pitched a strong six innings for Emerson, only surrendering a pair of earned runs and picking up a strikeout while dropping to 4-4 on the season. 

Wellesley returns to action on Friday afternoon when the Blue travel to Springfield for a NEWMAC doubleheader at 3:00 PM. Emerson will play host to non-conference Wheelock College in a single game tomorrow afternoon at 6:00 PM.