Blue Softball Wraps Spring Break Trip With Split of Thomas, Oberlin

CLERMONT, Fla. – Wellesley College softball split a pair of game on Tuesday at Legends Way Ballfields, wrapping up the team's spring break trip with a record of 4-4. The Blue defeated Thomas (Maine), 2-1, before falling to Oberlin, 13-10. 

Game 1 | Wellesley 2, Thomas (ME) 1 | Final

Senior Sydney Hopper (Newcastle, Wash.) pitched a complete game, striking out three while giving-up just four hits and one earned run as the Blue defeated Thomas, 2-1. 

Hopper and Thomas starter Sydney LeBourveau (Jericho, Vt.) dueled for seven innings, as LeBourveau took the loss (1-2) despite pitching 6.0 innings, giving-up seven hits and two earned runs. On the other side, Hopper earned her third win of the trip for the Blue. 

First year Marisa Hensch (Carlsbad, Calif.) drove in junior Kendall Smith (Turlock, Calif.) for both runs in support of Hopper. Smith led off the game with a single to left, scoring when Hensch singled up the middle later in the inning.

In the third, Smith again started the rally, this time with a double to the left field fence. Hensch then delivered for the second time, dropping an RBI single into left to make the score 2-0. Both Hensch and Smith finished the game with a pair of hits. Hensch reached base in all three of her plate appearances, drawing a walk in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Thomas spoiled Hopper's shutout bid with a Katie Taylor (Lebanon, Maine) RBI single in the 5th, but the Blue senior worked around a pair of base runners in the sixth and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to secure the win. 

Game 2 | Oberlin 13, Wellesley 10 | Final

Oberlin scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull ahead for good in a wild back-and-forth contest that featured 23 runs, 31 hits, and 14 walks in a 13-10 victory for the Yeowomen.

Six different Blue players collected hits, with four players recording multi-hit games. Sophomore Alyssa Hana (La Mirada, Calif.) had three hits, four RBIs, and a run scored to lead the Blue. Classmate Gen Brittingham (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) and junior Kalei Oliver (Vista, Calif.) each had three hits, while Smith added two more hits and scored two runs. Brittingham had a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.

First year Vianca Dagnino (American Canyon, Calif.) finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs to lead Oberlin. Nine different players recorded at least one hit for the Yeowomen, as first year Cat Moruzzi (Moreno Valley, Calif.) and sophomore Maddison Paladino (Downers Grove, Ill.) also finished with three hits. 

Oberlin scored three runs in the first and five in the second to carry an 8-1 lead into the top of third. However, the Blue took advantage of four hits and seven walks in the top of the third inning to turn an 8-1 deficit into a 9-8 lead. Hana and Brittingham each delivered two-RBI hits in the inning that ended with the base loaded after the Blue batted around.

The game advanced to the bottom of the fifth before Oberlin was able to counter for runs. Moruzzi, sophomore Emily Tucci (Bloomingdale, Ill.), and Dagnino delivered three straight RBI hits, with Dagnino capping the rally with a two-run double to right center. 

Wellesley returns home to open the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) season versus Emerson on Friday, March 29, at 3:00 PM.