Box Score
MIDDLETOWN, CT -- Junior Meaghan Dendy singled
up the middle in the bottom of the 6th to drive in a pair of
unearned runs, then finished her complete-game victory by holding
Williams (6-10, 2-2) off the board in the 7th to secure a 5-4
NESCAC West victory for Wesleyan (10-12, 5-2).
The teams will complete their three-game weekend series with a
doubleheader in Middletown Saturday.
Williams committed four errors in the contest, and all five
Wesleyan runs were unearned.
"We had some great pitching, some timely hits and we made some
great plays defensively," Ephs head coach Kris Herman said. "But we
need to make the routine plays. Tomorrow, we'll come back and try
to do that."
Williams jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the first as
senior Joey Lye walked, stole second and eventually scored on a
fielder's choice grounder to short by senior Morgan Simpson.
Wesleyan tried to cut down Lye at the plate but she scored under
the throw. Freshman Allison Hart then added an RBI single for the
second Eph run.
Wesleyan responded with two of its own in the 1st, courtesy of
sophomore Talia Bernstein's RBI hit, plating Dendy who had
singled, and a second run on an infield error.
Wesleyan took a 3-2 lead in the 4th on freshman Sam
Epstein's run-producing double to left as sophomore Anu Rimal
found the plate. Rimal had led off the frame with a hit and moved
to second on a sacrifice.
That lead lasted only until Williams' next at-bat as the
Ephs scored twice for a 4-3 lead. With senior Becky Sansone at
first with two outs after a fielder's choice, Simpson lofted
a ball over third base which Wesleyan shortstop senior Molly
O'Connell made a great diving attempt to catch. The ball hit
off her glove and rolled away, allowing runners to go to second and
third as the play was ruled a double. Senior Emily Fowler-Cornfeld
then pounded a single to left-center to put Williams ahead for the
second time in the contest.
Neither team scored in its next at-bat but Wesleyan rallied for
the lead in the sixth. Freshman Alexis Kral started things off with
a base hit. Freshman Chrissy Bello then sent a high fly ball to
center field which was misplayed by Williams, sending runners to
second and third. After sophomore pitcher Mary Beth Daub, who went
the distance for the Ephs, got the next two outs without an advance
of the runners, Dendy sent a sharp grounder back over the mound and
into center field for the 5-4 lead.
Though Williams got the tying run to second base in the 7th as
Morgan doubled sharply to left with two outs for her second hit of
the game, Dendy got the final out on an unassisted grounder to
Bernstein at first to end the game.
Wesleyan, the defending Little Three champion, now stands 2-2 in
Little Three play while Williams is 0-1. Wesleyan went 1-2 vs.
Amherst. Williams and Amherst have yet to play.
