Box Score
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Sophomore Ali Graebner went 3-for-3 with four runs and drove in five to lead Williams College to an 18-4, five-inning victory over Wesleyan University Friday evening.
Williams picked up its first NESCAC West win and snapped a four-game losing streak; the Ephs now stand 7-11 on the season and 1-3 in NESCAC West play. Wesleyan saw its four-game winning streak come to a close. The Cardinals are now 8-11 on the year and 3-1 in divisional play.
Williams jumped all over Wesleyan sophomore Laura Getchell in the first inning, as the first four batters reached base. Senior Allison Hart opened with a single through the left side and stole second, and freshman Mo Frank followed with a double to the gap in left-center that plated Hart. Sophomore Ally Ensor followed with a double to bring home Frank, and a single by Graebner made it 3-0. Graebner advanced to third when the throw from right field missed the mark. Following a strikeout, junior Merrilee Weston singled to right-center to plate Graebner and make it 4-0 before Getchell got out of the inning.
Williams added five more runs in the second. With one out, Hart doubled to left and advanced to third on a dropped throw on a stolen-base attempt. Frank walked and stole second; Hart scampered home on a wild throw to second. Frank moved to third on a passed ball before Ensor was hit by a pitch and stole second. Both runners scored on a double to right-center that chased Getchell from the game. Freshman Haylle Reidy entered and induced a fly ball, but a walk by Weston and a double by freshman Lindsey Precht made it 9-0.
Williams added three more runs in the third on a triple by Graebner and a sacrifice fly by junior Amanda Correnti. In the circle, freshman Emma Harrington was cruising, as she allowed only five baserunners and two runs in four innings of work. Wesleyan got on the board in the bottom of the first when junior Tori Redding tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Jill Gately . A two-out solo home run by senior Chrissy Bello in the fourth made it 12-2.
Williams put the game away with six runs in the fifth. Weston had the big hit, a two-out, three-run home run — the first of her career — and sophomore Theresa Legan brought in two more runs with a two-out double. Wesleyan brought home a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on one-out singles by Beatty and Redding.
The Williams 1-4 hitters of Hart, Frank, Ensor and Graebner finished the game a combined 10-for-13 with 14 runs scored and eight RBI. Wesleyan was led at the plate by Beatty and Redding, who each went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Harrington picked up the win to improve to 5-3 on the season, while Getchell fell to 3-4 with the loss. In three career appearances against Williams, Getchell has now allowed 27 hits and 21 earned runs in 11.1 innings for a 12.97 ERA. Against the other three NESCAC West teams, she is a combined 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA (eight earned runs in 29 innings).
The teams will conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader at Williams beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
