Blue Softball Splits Pair with Clark on Senior Day

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College softball earned a split with Clark University on a windy Saturday afternoon.

Game 1 | Clark 8, Wellesley 6 | Final

Clark University jumped out to an early 6-0 lead before holding off a late Wellesley to take an 8-6 victory over the Blue in game one. Clark senior Kaylee Gibson (Northfield, Mass.) registered a game-high four RBIs, finishing 3-for-4 at the dish with a double and a run scored.

With Clark leading 1-0 entering the third, Gibson delivered the big hit as part of a five-run Cougar inning. The visitors put a pair of runners on to open the frame before senior Francesca Cirone (Franklin Square, N.Y. ) made it 2-0 with an RBI double to right center. Following a walk to senior Jessica Martin (Winthrop, Mass), Gibson ripped a double to the left field wall that plated two Clark runners. The Cougars tacked on two more thanks to RBI singles from junior Allessia Mauro (Woodbury, Conn.) and sophomore Rebecca Mauro (Easton, Conn.)

Trailing 6-0, the Blue started to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring their first run of the game on a Peytin Penny (Louisville, Ky.) RBI single that scored sophomore  Elli DeCleene (North Reading, Mass.). However, Gibson extended the Clark advantage in the top of the fourth, making the score 8-1 with a two-RBI single back up the middle. 

The Blue went scoreless in the fourth before scoring in three straight innings to cut the deficit to 8-6. Senior Marisa Hensch (Carlsbad, Calif.) ripped an RBI double in fifth before sophomore Aniko Alexander (Gaithersburg, Md.) scored on a Clark error in the sixth to make the score 8-3. Wellesley then brought eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on a Clark error and RBI singles from Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) and Chloe Theriault (Peoria, Ariz.) to make the score 8-6. With Young on third and Theriault on second, Clark reliever Nicole Buckley (Hazlet, N.J.) got Hensch to foul out to end the threat. 

Game 2 | Wellesley 7, Clark 3 | Final

Senior Hayley Moniz (Westfield, Mass.) dealt a complete game and struck out two batters to lead the Blue to a 7-3 victory in game two. 

Clark got off to a 2-0 lead in the second inning after Mauro belted a two-run home run to left center. The Blue quickly got one back in the bottom of the frame as Lauren Skolaris (Mooresville, N.C.) grounded out to second but got the job done to bring home Young. Wellesley caught fire in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on five hits. With two outs, Hensch hit a clutch single up the middle to score two runs and give the Blue a 3-2 lead. Senior Holly Chin (Newton, Mass.) and Skolaris each followed up with singles and Wellesley extended the lead to 6-2. In the top half of the sixth, Clark added a third run with an RBI double down the left field line by Gibson. The Blue added one more insurance run in the bottom half of the frame and closed out Clark in the seventh to hang on to a 7-3 win.

The Blue are set to host a non-conference doubleheader with Tufts on Wednesday, April 20 at 3:00 and 5:00 PM. Clark will head back home to host two games against Worcester St. on Tuesday, April 19 starting at 3:00 PM.