April 2, 2001
AMHERST, MA - Amherst College junior pitcher Lauren Peloquin (Berkley, MA) tossed her fifth shutout of the season, picked up her second career save in the nightcap and finished with four hits on the afternoon as the Jeffs swept a softball double-header from visiting non-league foe Smith College, 1-0 and 8-5, on Monday.
Peloquin-who was named the NESCAC Player of the Week earlier in the day-struck out 11 batters, allowed just three hits and scored the winning run in the opener to improve her pitching record to a perfect 7-0. With the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Peloquin took matters into her own hands, lacing a single to center field and advancing to second base on a throwing error by Smith outfielder Anna Marchefka (Greenfield, MA). She then moved to third base on a wild pitch by Smith starter Katherine Redniss (Stamford, CT) and waltzed home with the game-winning run on an RBI single by sophomore center fielder Erin Dittus (Brentwood, TN). Redniss fell to 3-6 with the loss despite scattering just four Amherst hits, but her day wasn't over yet. Neither was Peloquin's.
The nightcap took a different tone as the two teams combined for 19 hits and 13 runs in an error-laden affair. Amherst took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the opening frame off game-two starter Kristen Clark (Williamstown, NY). First-year first baseman Gina Scribner (Star, ID) drew first blood with an RBI single, driving in sophomore third baseman Missy Mordy (Issaquah, WA), who led off the inning with a line-drive base hit. Senior left fielder Meg Nelson also doubled in the inning and scored on a fielder's choice by Peloquin.
Smith responded with three runs in the second inning off Amherst starter Emily Melia (Hingham, MA). First-year designated hitter Courtney Hunt (Arcata, CA) reached base with a one-out single, advanced to third on an infield error and later scored on a wild pitch. Senior second baseman Elizabeth Rist (Easthampton, MA) then drove in center fielder Anna Marchefka (Greenfield, MA) and right fielder Theresa LaFavor (Minneapolis, MN) with a two-run double, as the Pioneers took the lead for the first and only time of the afternoon.
The score remained 3-2 until Amherst broke open the flood gates with a marathon fifth-inning rally, scoring five unearned runs on two hits and five errors, all at the expense of Redness, who came on to relieve Clark at the start of the second inning. Peloquin and Scribner each had RBI singles in the inning, while Dittus drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Down but not out, Smith rallied for two runs off Melia in the sixth before Peloquin shut the door in relief. After Rist plated a pair of runs with her second hit of the game, Peloquin came in and struck out left fielder Meredith Bertrand (Northampton, MA) on three pitches to effectively end the threat.
The rest of the game belonged to Peloquin, who added an RBI single for an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and set the Pioneers down in order in the seventh for her second career save. Peloquin finished three-for-three with three RBIs and a run scored in game-two, while Nelson went two-for-four with a double, single, an RBI and three runs scored. Scribner also finished with two hits, a pair of RBIs and a run scored, as the Jeffs improved to 9-4 with the double-header sweep.
Melia took the win to improve to 2-4, while Redness took her second loss of the day to fall to 3-7. Amherst returns to action Wednesday against visiting Mt. Holyoke at 4 p.m.
Game-One Box Score and Play-by-Play
Game-Two Box Score and Play-by-Play
