AMHERST, MA – The Williams College softball team dropped an 8-4 decision to rival Amherst College Friday afternoon, giving the Lord Jeffs a one-game lead over the Ephs heading into the final day of the NESCAC West season.
The two teams will begin a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. in Williamstown, with Amherst (14-14, 6-4 NESCAC West) needing only one victory to clinch their first postseason berth since 2006. The Ephs (17-15-1, 5-5) will need to take two from their archrivals in order to qualify for their 11th consecutive NESCAC Championship.
With the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning, Amherst senior Katie Kervick smacked a three-run homer to left field to give the Jeffs a lead they would not relinquish. Sophomore Theresa Kelley struck out 10 batters in a complete-game effort, allowing only two earned runs on seven hits.
The Ephs held a 7-5 edge in hits on the day, but Amherst took advantage of seven walks, two Williams errors and timely hitting. Kaitlin Silkowitz went 2-for-4 and scored two runs for the hosts, while Jillian Masi was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
The Ephs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Merrilee Weston sent a single through the left side of the infield to score Cedar Blazek, who had walked. Williams made it a 3-0 game in the third when Ally Ensor laced an RBI-double to center and Ali Graebner delivered a run-scoring single to left.
Williams starting pitcher Megan Casey '13 was in cruise control early on, working with a no-hitter until Silkowitz reached base on a bunt in the bottom of the third. The floodgates then opened up for the Jeffs, who got on the board when Annemarie Iker walked with the bases loaded. Christina Anderson followed with a bases-loaded walk of her own after a stellar nine-pitch at-bat, bringing the score to 3-2 in favor of the visitors.
Kelley kept the rally going in the third when she scored the tying run on a wild pitch, and Kervick soon put her team ahead with a three-run blast that reached the scoreboard. Arielle Doering followed with a single to center, which chased Casey from the game.
Amherst made it a 7-3 game by taking advantage of a throwing error in the bottom of the fourth, but the Ephs would get that one back in the top of the fifth when Ensor belted a solo homer over the fence in right center. The game's final run came in the bottom of the sixth, as Masi led off with a triple—her fourth of the season—and scored on another Williams fielding error, bringing the final tally to 8-4.
Kelley picked up the win to improve to 9-11, while Casey dropped to 6-8 after surrendering six earned runs on three hits and five walks in 2.2 innings. Alyssa Quann allowed two unearned runs on two hits in 2.1 innings of relief, while Kaitlin Dinet recorded the final three outs for the Ephs.
Williams was led at the plate by Ensor, who finished at 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Graebner was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
