WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — When the pandemic struck home in March of 2020, Williams senior
Kirstin Mapes made the decision to delay her graduation one year to see if she could enjoy her final season as a softball player.
Mapes — and the Ephs — are reaping the benefits of that decision. On Sunday, Mapes stroked a 3-2 pitch to left field with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to score teammate
Mara Kipnis with the winning run as the Ephs stunned NESCAC West rival Middlebury, 4-3, on Cole Field. The win gave Williams a sweep of its three-game series with the Panthers (1-4) and kept the Ephs unbeaten at 6-0.
"It's a challenging year and we're taking it one pitch at a time, which is exactly what we need to do," Ephs' Head Coach
Kris Herman said. "I thought today was a total team effort, everybody was able to make a contribution. I'm happy for the team, especially for the seniors."
Next up for Williams is a doubleheader at Tufts University Saturday at 1 p.m.
Trailing 3-2, Sunday's winning rally began with one out in the seventh when Tyler Wise stroked an opposite-field single to left.
Mara Kipnis followed with a single, and
Gabi Cirigliano tied the game with her line drive single to left that scored Wise and put runners on first and second. Mapes then worked Middlebury reliever Chloe McNamara to a full count before lining a shot toward the left-field line that scored Kipnis with the game-winner.
Williams first year
Madison Mok earned her first collegiate victory from the circle, throwing 3 2/3 innings in relief of Mapes and giving up two hits and one run while walking three and striking out two.
Middlebury scored early with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning.
Sophie Bolinger led off with a walk and moved to second when
Sophia Marlino did the same. One batter later, Noelle Rushcil singled to right to load the bases.
Melanie Mandell followed, ripping a single to left center to plate both Bolinger and Marlino for the 2-0 edge.
Williams threatened in its half of the third, loading the bases with one out before Middlebury starter Jewel Ashbrook worked her way out of the jam, retiring Cirigliano and Mapes.
It stayed 2-0 until the Williams 6th. With one out, Cirigliano launched a deep fly ball to right that cleared the fence for her fourth home run on the season and cut the deficit to 4-3. Mapes kept things going with a liner to right for a single, taking second on an error.
Bailey Burger-Moore drew a walk before senior
Dacia Green drilled a hard grounder back up the middle that scored Mapes with the tying run.
Not to be denied a role in the dramatics, Middlebury rallied in its seventh when Jenn McGann singled and took second on a wild pitch. She was there with two outs when Mandell drilled an opposite field shot into the left-center field gap for an RBI-double and a 3-2 lead. She finished 2 for 4 with 3 RBI for the Panthers.
Kipnis, Cirigliano and Mapes were each 2 for 4 for Williams, with Cirigliano driving in two runs.
The loss went to Ashbrook, who went 6 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and four runs while walking one and striking out three.
