Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Photo Gallery
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Another day, another
doubleheader, another dramatic ending for the Williams College
softball team. Trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning of
the first game against Wesleyan, the Ephs rallied to win 7-6 behind
a grand slam off the bat of junior Carly Ameen.
Wesleyan rebounded from its game one loss to take the nightcap
16-6 in five innings. Williams moves to 5-13 overall, 1-1 in NESCAC
West play, while the Cardinals are now 15-8, 3-1 in the West. The
two teams meet in the rubber match of the three-game set Sunday at
11 a.m.
In Saturday's first game, Wesleyan built a 4-0 lead through four
innings, thanks in part to a two-run blast by sophomore Dana Levy
in the third. Williams scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth
without the benefit of a hit, but the Cardinals responded with two
more in the sixth on a two-out, two-run single to right off the bat
of Tori Redding.
But Williams would get the equalizers with one big swing of the
bat in its half of the frame. A double by Caitlyn Cain, an error,
and a batter reaching on a wild pitch on a swinging third strike
loaded the bases with two outs for the Ephs. Junior Ameen came to
the plate and fell behind Wesleyan starter Meaghan Dendy 0-2 after
two pitches. Her third swing connected with a Dendy riser, the
result being a grand slam home run to right center field that tied
the game, 6-6.
After Williams starter Megan Casey retired Wesleyan 1-2-3 in the
top of the seventh, Dendy retired the first two batters she faced
in the bottom of the frame. But Cain ripped a single to center, and
Cedar Blazek followed with another single to center. The ball
glanced off the Cardinal center fielder and Cain just kept running.
The relay throw home appeared to have Cain out, but it was dropped,
and the junior slid around the catcher for the winning run.
Casey earned the win for Williams, going seven innings and
giving up eight hits and one walk while fanning one. Williams had
six hits off Dendy, two each for Cain and Blazek. Dendy was the
hard-luck loser, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing six hits and one
walk while striking out seven. None of the seven runs she was
charged to were earned.
At the plate, Chrissy Bello was 2 for with an RBI for Wesleyan,
while Dendy was 2 for 4.
Wesleyan regrouped and took the nightcap, 16-6, scoring eight
times in the second and seven times in the fourth to back the
pitching of Caitlyn Grudzinski.
Williams actually led the game 2-1 after one on Amanda
Correnti's two-out, two-run single up the middle in the first. But
a two-out Williams error in the top of the second opened the
floodgates for the Cardinals, who scored eight unearned runs.
Dendy's two-run single to left gave Wesleyan a 4-2 lead, and Talia
Bernstein later ripped a two-run single. Bello capped the inning
with a two-run homer to center.
Wiliams fought back again, scoring four times in the third to
make it a 9-6 game, but the Cardinals put the game put of reach
with a seven-run top of the fourth. Bello had an RBI-single in the
frame, and Levy a two-run single. Levy finished 3 for 4 with three
RBI for the Cardinals, as did Bello. Dendy also had three RBI in
the victory.
Williams had six hits, two from Correnti. Grudzinski earned the
win, allowing six hits and no walks over five innings. Mary Beth
Daub took the loss, allowing 16 hits and 16 runs, only four earned,
while walking two and striking out two over five innings.
