The Wellesley College softball team was eliminated from the 2010
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
(NEWMAC) playoffs on Saturday. The Blue opened with a 3-2 win over
Wheaton, but fell to Babson, 7-4, to end their tournament
run.
In game one, Senior Megan Wood hit a solo homer to lead off the
sixth inning and also went the distance on the mound leading
fourth-seeded Wellesley to a 3-2 win over sixth-seeded Wheaton in
game six of the tournament. Wood (8-1) scattered three hits and
allowed a pair of unearned runs while walking two and striking out
four as the Blue advanced to play third-seeded Babson in an
elimination game at 4 p.m. and eliminated the Lyons.
First-year Samantha Spiga was 3 for 3 with three singles to lead
the Wellesley offense.
Wheaton scored an unearned run in the top of the first as
sophomore Amanda Poplaski singled, moved to second on a wild pitch
and scored on an error. Wellesley tied the game in the second
as senior Alex Warren walked and came around from first on an
infield single in front of home plate by Spiga that was thrown down
the right field line.
The Blue took the lead in the third on an RBI single by freshman
Mara Blesoff scoring junior Brittany Bakacs, who reached on an
error. Wheaton tied the game in the fifth as junior Marisa
Hobocan laid down a squeeze bunt scoring junior Katy Salka, who
reached on error.
Senior Andrea Bailey (3-4) took the loss for Wheaton as she
allowed six hits, three runs, two earned while walking three and
striking out two. Poplaski had two of Wheaton's three hits in
the loss.
In Wellesley's second game of the day, third-seeded Babson took
a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never loked back beating the
Blue 7-4 in an elimination game.
Freshman Catie Funk blasted a two-run homer to center to give
the Beavers a 2-0 lead in the first. Following back-to-back walks,
junior Jess Winer then had an RBI single increasing the lead to 3-0
before Wellesley starter first-year Lauren Goldfarb struck out the
next three batters to minimize the damage and end the inning.
Junior Sinta Cebrian's RBI single in the top of the second got
the Blue on the board and freshman Lauren Goldfarb followed with an
RBI double to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Babson scored three runs in the third on an RBI ground out by
sophomore Jessica Pashos which scored freshman Brianna DiPietro,
who led off the inning with a walk. Freshman Jacyln Enos, who
singled, scored on a wild pitch and Winer followed with her second
RBI single in as many innings for a 6-2 lead.
In the top of the third, Wellesley got a run as senior Alex
Warren lifted a sacrifice fly scoring junior Brittany Bakacs, who
led off the inning with a single.
Jacyln Enos led off the fourth with a single and later scored on
a passed ball to increase the lead to 7-3.
In the seventh, senior Megan Wood had an RBI double scoring
senior Ilana Orloff who led off with a double before it appeared a
sacrifice fly by freshman Mara Blesoff would make the score 7-5,
but the runner from third left early and was called out for a
double play before Babson got the final out for the win.
Enos had three hits and three runs scored to lead Babson while
Wood and Goldfarb had two hits each for Wellesley.
Freshman Megan Brain (11-4) got the win in relief of senior
Danielle Liska. Brain went 5 2/3 innings and allowed six hits and
two runs, both earned, while walking one and striking out two.
Goldfarb (11-5) took the loss for Wellesley. She went 4 1/3
innings and allowed eight hits, seven runs, six earned, while
walking five and striking out six.