WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College softball earned a split with Springfield College in a NEWMAC doubleheader on Wednesday. Springfield (12-8 Overall, 3-3 NEWMAC) won game one 5-3, while Wellesley (9-8-1 Overall, 4-2 NEWMAC) took game two 4-1.
Game 1 | Springfield 5, Wellesley 3 | Final
After a scoreless first inning, Wellesley plated the game's first run in the bottom of the second when sophomore Diana Borrison (San Jose, Calif.) knocked in first-year Ruijia Yang (Berwyn, Pa.) on an infield ground out.
Springfield tied the score in the third when senior Marissa Seyfert (Farmingdale, N.Y.) scored on a bases loaded walk.
Grad student Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) led off the fourth with a solo home run to left center to put the Pride on top 2-1.
Borrison and Yang combined for another Wellesley run in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. Yang came around on a Borrison sac fly to center field.
In the fifth, the Blue took a 3-2 lead with two outs. Senior Charis Chung (San Gabriel, Calif.) tripled to left and then scored on a single by sophomore Jill Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.).
Springfield rallied with two outs in the seventh to score three times and take a 5-3 lead. First-year Brynlee Eckles (Ellington, Conn.) scored the game-tying run on a close play at the plate on a single by Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.). Puskas then came through with the big hit with a two-run double to the gap.
Senior Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) pitched the first four innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits with two strikeouts. Colgan took the loss with 2.2 innings of work and three earned runs. Colgan also went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Wellesley batters.
Junior Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) started and went 4.2 innings and allowed two earned runs. First-year Lily McCauliffe (Greenwich, N.Y.) earned the win for Springfield after 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Game 2 | Wellesley 4, Springfield 1 | Final
Springfield opened the game with a run on three hits in the first. First-year Katie Manzone (Wareham, Mass.) singled home DeRosa who led off the game with a double.
Wellesley quickly answered with a pair in the bottom half. Sophomore Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) doubled in Chung and sophomore Alena Mulhern (Kingston, Mass.) for a 2-1 lead.
The Pride loaded the bases in the third, but Wicker ended the threat with a strikeout.
Wellesley increased its lead to 3-1 in the fourth when sophomore Emily Kulhanek (Newbury, Calif.), who pinch ran for Wicker after reaching on a single, scored on a fielder's choice by junior Emelin Gaunce (Los Altos, Calif.).
The Blue tacked on a run in the sixth on an RBI double by junior Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.) that scored Gaunce.
Wicker earned the complete game victory for Wellesley with one run allowed and five strikeouts. Wicker added two hits and two RBIs at the plate.
First-year Julia Rimshnick (Staten Island, N.Y.) suffered the loss for Springfield with a complete game and four runs allowed.
Mulhern went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, while sophomore Giana Jones (Fairfield, Calif.) contributed two hits and a stolen base.
Both teams engage in NEWMAC doubleheaders on Friday, April 11. The Blue head to Coast Guard Academy for a 3 & 5 PM twin-billing. Springfield squares off with WPI at home at the same time.
