ORANGE, CA -- The progress being made by the
Williams College softball team blossomed into a pair of victories
Saturday as the Ephs defeated St. Olaf (Mn.) in a 6-5 thriller,
then came back later in the day and doubled up Hamline, 6-3.
The two wins upped Williams record to 2-8. The Ephs are off
Sunday but will play Beuna Vista and St. Thomas (Mn.) on Monday.
"We can talk about making progress all day long, and we do,
about doing the small things correctly," said Ephs head coach Kris
Herman. "But at the end of the day, it's nice to have a couple of
wins. Everybody is working hard, today we had a great team effort
in both games."
The Ephs held a 5-1 lead in the opener Saturday against St.
Olaf, but needed some late-inning dramatics from junior Carly Ameen
to post the win. St. Olaf scored twice in the fifth and twice in
the sixth to tie the game at five all.
But with one out in the bottom of the sixth, Ameen got a hold of
a pitch and drilled a long home run to left field for a 6-5 lead.
Mary Beth Daub made it stand up in the top of the seventh, and the
Ephs had their first win.
Daub got the victory, tossing all seven frames and allowing
seven hits and four walks while striking out five. Only two of the
five runs charged to her were earned.
It was a 1-1 game in the third when Williams erupted for four
runs to take that 5-1 lead. Ali Hart, who was 3 for 4 in the win,
led off with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. After an
out, Cedar Blazek put down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score
the run and give Williams a 2-1 lead.
Daub kept the inning going with a two out single, taking second
on an error on the play. Caitlyn Cain then worked a nine-pitch
walk, and first year Amanda Correnti came through with a two-run
double on a hit and run call. Kaitlin Dinet scored Correnti with an
RBI-single.
Williams had 10 hits in the game. Oriana Mcgee was 2 for 4 out
of the lead-off spot.
The nightcap was no less exciting as anothe four-run third
inning propelled the Ephs to victory. Trailing 1-0, Mcgee led off
by reaching on an error. Hart singled, and Merilee Weston's single
loaded the bases. Blazek followed by ripping a screaming liner down
the left-field line, scoring all three runs for a 3-1 lead. Daub
singled Blazek home to make it 4-1.
The Ephs led 4-3 entering the sixth, but added two key insurance
runs. Daub singled and was pinch run for by Jess Cross. Cain was
hit by a pitch and a passed ball moved runners to second and third.
Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Correnti and pinch-hitter Jessie
Herzer made the score 6-3.
First year Megan Casey threw another strong game for Williams,
going seven innings and allowing only four hits and three runs
while walking two and striking out five.
Mcgee was 3 for 4 for Williams, while Hart and Daub were both 2
for 4.
