WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Megan Casey and Mary Beth Daub each picked up complete-game victories Tuesday as the Williams College softball team swept a doubleheader from Skidmore at Cole Field, taking the first game 4-0 and winning the nightcap 7-4.
Williams improved to 16-13-1 with the sweep. The Ephs are at Western New England Wednesday for another doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. Skidmore fell to 10-16 on the season.
In the opener Tuesday, Casey was on target, firing a three-hit shutout in which she walked only two and struck out a career-high 12 batters. Skidmore put the first batter of each of the first three innings on base, but Casey ended each inning with a strikeout to keep the Thoroughbreds off the scoreboard.
The Ephs gave Casey the only run she would need in the first. Senior captain Caitlyn Cain led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Theresa Legan and scored on a two-out error. Skidmore starter Sam Croce kept the Ephs close until the sixth, when a three-run inning gave Casey all the insurance she would need.
Senior captain Carly Ameen ignited the rally with a lead-off double. Cain then reached on a bunt single and stole second. Legan followed with a line shot down the right-field line that went for a two-run double and a 3-0 lead. Legan stole third and scored the Ephs' fourth run of the game when Ali Graebner ripped an RBI-single to left field.
Cain finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
The nightcap was decided by the bigger of the big innings. Williams scored five runs in the bottom of the second, Skidmore countered with four in the top of the third. The score stayed 5-4 until the bottom of the fourth, when Williams added two more to account for the final 7-4 margin.
The Ephs' big second was highlighted by two clutch hits, both which came with two outs. First, Kaitlin Dinet smoked a bases-clearing three-run triple to right field, and then Ally Ensor followed with a two-out RBI-single to right for a 5-0 lead.
Skidmore's four-run third also included several big hits, beginning with Charlotte Evans RBI-single to make it 5-1. Julia Schwartz had a two-run triple in the uprising, and she scored on Caitlin Ketcham's gorunder to second.
The Ephs' insurance runs in the fourth came when Cedar Blazek ripped an RBI-triple down the right-field line and scored when Ali Graebner beat out a roller to short for an RBI-single.
Daub picked up the win for the Ephs, throwing seven innings and allowing five hits. She did not walk a batter while striking out four. Abby Fuhrman took the loss for the Thoroughbreds.
Carol Brown was 2 for 3 for Skidmore, while Graebner was 2 for 4 for the Ephs.
