Box Score WELLESLEY, Mass. – Emerson College senior Kallista Leonardos (El Granada, Calif.) hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to help lift the Lions to a 3-2 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Wellesley College softball on Wednesday afternoon at the Wellesley Fields Complex.
The Lions improved to 15-16 overall and 5-9 NEWMAC with the victory, their second of the season over the Blue. Wellesley is now 7-13-2 (3-8-1 NEWMAC) overall.
The Blue took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when junior Autumn Brown (Marshfield, Mass.) tripled to drive home sophomore Gen Brittingham (Aliso Viejo, Calif.). Brown finished the game with two hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Junior Kendall Smith (Turlock, Calif.) and first year Hayley Moniz (Westfield, Mass.) each recorded two hits, while Brittingham recorded her team leading 12th double of the season and scored a run. Moniz took the loss (2-4) in the circle, pitching 5.1 innings and giving up three runs (two earned).
The Blue advantage vanished in the next inning, as the Lions scored on an error to tie the game before Leonardos sent a blast over the left centerfield fence to make the score 3-1. Leonardos was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead Emerson. Emerson starter Neely Eddleston (West Wareham, Mass.) went the distance in the circle, working around nine hits and two earned to improve to 8-7 overall.
The Blue threatened in the bottom of the seventh but only got one run back when first year Jill O'Shea (Moseley, Va.) singled up the middle to drive home classmate Holly Chin (Newton, Mass.). Down one, Wellesley loaded the bases when Smith singled to right, but the runners were left stranded when Eddleston got a ground out to end the game.
Wellesley will take on WPI in a doubleheader on Friday, April 19, at 3:30 PM in Worcester. Emerson returns home to host Clark on Friday at 3:00 PM.
