Blue Softball Sweeps Middlebury, Keuka in Clermont

CLERMONT, Fla. – Wellesley College softball earned wins over Middlebury College and Keuka College at Hancock Park Fields on Sunday. The Blue (2-2 Overall) scored nine runs in both games with a total of 23 hits on the day.

First year Emily Kulhanek (Newbury Park, Calif.) knocked in four runs on three hits, including an RBI double. Classmate Jillian Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.) was 4-for-7 with three RBIs and earned a win and four strikeouts for Wellesley.

Game 1 | Wellesley 9, Middlebury 4 | Final

The Blue took an early lead in the top of the second and never gave it up against Middlebury (2-1 Overall).

First year Anisa Rodriguez (La Quinta, Calif.) drove in classmate Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) with a deep double in the second. Wellesley added a second run in the third on an RBI single from Colgan.

Wellesley's lead expanded to 5-0 in the fifth. Senior Elli DeCleene (North Reading, Mass.) opened the scoring with an RBI single to left. DeCleene later scored on a grounder from Colgan. Sophomore Emeline Gaunce (Los Altos, Calif.) capped off the inning with a single that scored a run.

Middlebury put up a run in the bottom of the fifth on a single from first year Sarah LaFond (San Marcos, Calif.). The Blue answered back in the top of the sixth when junior Lauren Skolaris (Mooresville, N.C.) crossed the plate on a sacrifice bunt from classmate Charis Chung (San Gabriel, Calif.). That run made it 6-1 in Wellesley's favor. 

The Panthers chipped away at the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. First, sophomore McKenna Lont (Wyckoff, N.J.) grounded in a run and advanced runners to second and third. Then, senior Megan Fox (Houston, Texas) drove both runners in with a shot up the middle. Wellesley regrouped and got the third out to maintain a 6-4 lead.

The Blue padded its lead with three runs in the top of the seventh. First year Alena Mulhern (Kingston, Mass.) came home on a passed ball. Later, Kulhanek ripped a single through the left side to bring home two. Wellesley closed out a 9-4 game with a clean bottom of the seventh.

Wellesley had 13 team hits to Middlebury's 10. Wicker threw three scoreless innings and fanned four. Junior Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) and Colgan both pitched two innings and recorded a strikeout. Junior Samantha Hausman (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) picked up four strikeouts over five innings for Middlebury.

Game 2 | Wellesley 9, Keuka 7 | Final

The Blue recovered after being down 4-1 early to pick up a 9-7 victory over Keuka (0-2 Overall). Kulhanek had a pair of hits and RBIs while Colgan picked up a first collegiate win in the circle.

Kulhanek gave Wellesley the first run of the game in the first with a single through the left side of the infield. Sophomore Grace Eagan (Buffalo, N.Y.) countered by walking in a run for the Wolves in the bottom half of the inning.

Keuka increased its run total by three in the bottom of the second. After sophomore Kaitlyn Holland (Leicester, N.Y.) scored on an error, first year Hailey Jasinski (Buffalo, N.Y.) and junior Makenna DeMoney (Conklin, N.Y.) both singled in runs.

Wellesley made it a 4-2 game with an RBI infield single from Colgan. In the fourth inning, the Blue got the deficit down to one with a single from first year Karen Xiao (Berwyn, Pa.) driving in a run.

The Blue tacked on three runs to make it 6-4 in the fifth inning. Kulhanek, and first years Giana Jones (Fairfield, Calif.) and Diana Borrison (San Jose, Calif.) ripped back-to-back-to-back left field doubles. All three doubles brought in a run. 

Senior Parker Phillips (River Forest, Ill.) and sophomore Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.) gave Wellesley its seventh and eighth runs in the top of the sixth. Both players came home on an error. The next inning, Phillips drove in Jones and Wellesley led 9-4 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Keuka nearly pulled off a five-run comeback. Eagan singled in a run before sophomore Lauren Gilbert (Owego, N.Y.) blasted a double to left that scored Eagan. The Wolves got the score to 9-7 on a sacrifice fly from Holland. The Blue stopped the comeback effort with a foul out ending the game.

Wellesley outhit Keuka 11 to 10. Colgan recorded three strikeouts over four innings. Senior Emma Slibeck (New York, N.Y.) struck out one in two scoreless innings of relief and Young picked up a save. Gilbert and junior Hali Jenner (Waverly, N.Y.) each recorded a strikeout for Keuka.

Next up, the Blue play William Paterson tomorrow morning at 9:15 AM. Later on, the Blue will face Western New England at 11:30 AM.