WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College softball won both games of a NEWMAC doubleheader with Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday. The Blue (10-7 Overall, 3-3 NEWMAC) staged a seventh inning comeback to walk off in a 2-1 opener. The bats then got hot as Wellesley beat the Bears (10-8 Overall, 4-2 NEWMAC) from pillar to post in a 6-0 game two.
Game 1 | Wellesley 2, Coast Guard 1 | Final
Down to its final two outs and facing a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue effectively changed its fortune. A single through the right side by senior Emeline Gaunce (Palo Alto, Calif.) was followed by a double to center from Kulhanek, putting runners on second and third. Sophomore Brynne Mellady (Marriottsville, Md.) tied the game at 1-1, bringing in Gaunce on a groundout to shortstop and moving the winning run to third. A wild pitch allowed Kuhanek to sprint home and win the game for the Blue, 2-1.
Junior Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) went the opening five innings for Wellesley, only surrendering a single unearned run, with five hits and three punchouts. First-year Lauren Seyller (South Elgin, Ill.) came in and retired all six batters faced over two perfect innings, earning the win in the process.
Senior Emma Behel (Ellicott City, Md.) started for Coast Guard, going 3+ innings with only three baserunners allowed. Senior Dana Walker (Macon, Ga.) went 3.2 innings of two runs with a pair of k's.
Earlier on, Coast Guard scored the opening run of the day in the top of the third inning. Junior Abriana Schmutz (Marysville, Ohio) reached on an error and subsequently got to second on a wild pitch. An RBI single to left from first-year Emma Stolarzyk (Danville, Calif.) brought in Schmutz to put the Bears up 1-0.
The visitors nearly added a second run in the fourth when junior Mack Murnane (Castle Hayne, N.C.) blasted a double to deep left center. Blue left fielder Natalie Nicol (Crockett, Texas) hit a cutoff Emily Kulhanek (Newbury, Calif.) who fired to catcher Anisa Rodriguez (La Quinta, Calif.) to get the out at the plate and keep the score 1-0.
The Blue put two runners on in the bottom of the fourth with singles from junior Alena Mulhern (Kingston, Mass.) and senior Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.). However, Coast Guard stranded both runners with Walker coming in the pitch and forcing a trio of ground outs.
Game 2 | Wellesley 6, Coast Guard 0 | Final
Seyller pitched five spotless innings for the Blue, stranding five base runners while fanning three to earn a second win of the day. Junior Jill Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.) pitched the final two innings, striking out a pair without allowing a run.
The Blue started the scoring early in game two with a run in the first inning. Junior Diana Borrison (San Jose, Calif.) drove in Mulhern with an RBI opposite field single to right.
The hosts tacked on two more runs in the second. Wellesley loaded the bases due to an error and a pair of walks. Delgado floated a soft single to right field that scored Nicol and junior Giana Jones (Fairfield, Calif.).
Mellady made it 4-0 Wellesley in the third inning with a single to right that allowed first-year Jailey Polski (Boise, Idaho) to cross the plate.
Gaunce kept the bats hot in fourth inning. The senior smacked a double to center while Borrison and Awad scored the fifth and sixth runs of the contest for Wellesley.
The Bears put two runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth. However, Seyller stayed composed, forcing a two-out fly to left field to keep the shutout intact.
Walker started game two for the Bears, getting through 3.2 innings with five runs (two earned), five hits, three walks and a trio of strikeouts. Behel returned to the circle for 2.1 innings of one-run ball.
Both teams will host NEWMAC doubleheaders at 3 & 5 PM on Friday, April 10. Wellesley welcomes Clark University while Coast Guard plays Wheaton College.
