Box Score
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Sophomore Stephanie
Clegg smacked a three-run home run with no outs in the top of the
seventh inning Friday, lifting Amherst by Williams in a key NESCAC
West showdown, 4-3.
Amherst improved to 18-14 with the win, 6-4 in the NESCAC West,
while Williams slipped to 14-19-1 overall, 7-3 in the NESCAC West.
The two teams wrap up the regular season tomorrow in Amherst with a
doubleheader set to start at 12 p.m.
Amherst trailed 3-1 entering the top of the seventh on Friday,
but Carly Dudzik ripped a single down the left field line to open
the frame and Emily Neill drew a walk, putting the tying runs on
base with nobody out. Clegg worked the count to 3-2 before hitting
a Megan Casey offering over the fence in left field for a 4-3 lead.
It appeared the Ephs were poised for a rally in the bottom of
the inning when Oriana Mcgee beat out an infield slap to third for
a single and Amanda Correnti blooped a single into right-center
field. Allison Hart's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second
and third with one out, but Amherst pitcher Alex Chang-Graham
snared a suicide squeeze bunt attempt, then ran over to the third
base bag and flipped the ball to shortstop Dudzik for the
game-ending double play.
Chang-Graham got the win, going seven full innings and allowing
seven hits and one walk while striking out three. Casey took the
loss in relief of Mary Beth Daub, going 1/3 of an inning and giving
up three runs.
Williams took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Mcgee
beat out a single and scored on a two-out error. The Ephs added
another run in the fifth when Ameen and Mcgee opened the innings
with singles and Ameen came around to score on a groundout by Hart.
Amherst fought back in the sixth when Clegg singled to open the
inning, going to second on an error on the play. With one out,
Reilly Horan's single through the right side of the infield made it
a 2-1 game. With two outs, Jillian Masi lined a single to left and
Jackie Tyler walked, loading the bases. But Casey bore down and
struck out the final batter to end the threat.
Williams added what looked like a key insurance run in the
bottom of the sixth when first-year Cedar Blazek rocketed a 3-2
pitch over the left-field fence for her conference-leading ninth
home run of the season.
Masi was 3 for 3 for Amherst, while Clegg was 2 for 3 with three
RBI. Mcgee was 3 for 3 for Williams.
