Wellesley, Mass. ā Wellesley College softball became the first NEWMAC team since 2016 to have two walk-offs on the same day against a conference opponent with a pair of extra inning wins over Wheaton CollegeĀ on Saturday afternoon. Wellesley improves to 15-8 this year, and 8-4 in conference contests.
Game 1 | Wellesley 4, Wheaton 3 | Final (9 Inn.)
Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Natalie Nicol (Crockett, Mass.) started on second to start the inning. After a pair of flyouts, first-year Brooklyn Awad (Montclair, N.J.) came up in the big moment with a walkoff single through the left side, with Wellesley celebrating as Nicol slid in safely at the plate.
The Lyons (14-13 Overa pounced on an early lead with a run in the initial half inning. First-year Mady Bryan (Halifax, Mass.) gifted the visitors a run with a deep double to left-center that scored senior Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.).
Wheaton attempted to add to its lead in the third when a runner sprinted past third on the way home. However, senior Emeline Gaunce (Los Altos, Calif.) fired from behind the first base bag to catcher Anisa Rodriguez (La Quinta, Calif.) to make the out at the plate.
Bryan had a leadoff double in the fourth and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. A line drive single off of the glove of second base by junior Gabby Reinbold (Sharon, Mass.) brought Bryan in, putting Wheaton up 2-0.
The Blue fought back with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Gaunce cracked a double to get in scoring position. Junior Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) capitalized on the opportunity with a single in the right-center gap to plate Gaunce and get the hosts in the run column.
Wheaton junior Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.) got all off a fastball in the fifth inning, blasting a solo home run to deep center field and making it a 3-1 contest.
Awad got the Blue back within a run in the fifth making it 3-2 for Wheaton. Awad drove in junior Alena Mulhern (Kingston, Mass.) with a double, giving the first-year a team-leading 13th RBI of the year.
The Blue evened the game up at 3-3 in the sixth. Singles from Rodriguez and sophomore Brynne Mellady (Marriottsville, Md.) and a walk from Nicol put runners on every base. Mulhern was able to draw a walk to bring in Rodriguez before Wheaton regained composure and limited the damage to one run.
Neither team mustered up a fourth run after seven innings, sending the game to extra innings.Ā
Seyller and De La Rosa both stranded the inherited runner in the eighth.Ā
Junior Jill Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.) pitched the first 4.1 innings for the Blue, surrendering three runs while striking out a quartet of batters. First-year Lauren Seyller (South Elgin, Ill.) picked up the win with 4.2 clean innings of relief and one strikeout.
Junior Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.) pitched a complete game for Wheaton, going all 8.2 innings with four runs (three earned) and three k's.
Game 2 | Wellesley 2, Wheaton 1 | Final (8 Inn.)
In a 1-1 game in the bottom of the eighth, a bunt single by junior Giana Jones (Fairfield, Calif.) put runners on second and third. A Nicol single to deep center sealed a second consecutive walk off for Wellesley, scoring Mellady as the winning run.
The Lyons supplied the game's first run in the third inning. Molinari came in for a run when junior Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.) slapped a double to left-center.
Wellesley came in still down 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh. Gaunce singled with one out before a popup left the hosts down to its final out. Pinch-hitter Chiara Lundin (Piedmont, Calif.) shined in the big moment, launching a double over the center fielder's head and bringing in Gaunce all the way from first. Wheaton then got the third out to send a second straight contest to extra innings.
Seyller opened the game for the Blue, allowing one run and four baserunners in the first three innings. Wicker tossed five innings of relief, only giving up one hit while setting down two on strikes to earn a sixth win of the season.
Blankenheim-Brown threw all 7+ innings for the Lyons, striking out two while offering up five hits.Ā
Wellesley takes on MIT at 3 & 5 PM on Wednesday, April 22. Wheaton plays MIT at home on Friday, April 24 at 3 & 5 PM.
