Courtesy of Wesleyan Sports Information
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - The 23rd-ranked Amherst softball team improved to 31-1 (9-0 NESCAC) on the year with a pair of mercy-rule victories against Little Three rival Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon.
Taking the first game of the twinbill 10-1 in five innings and the second 10-2 in six, the Lord Jeffs clinched their first NESCAC Championship appearance since 2006, while matching the program's single season wins record (31).
Amherst will host Middlebury College (8-1 NESCAC West) in a three-game series beginning Friday, Apr. 27 to determine the West division champion.
Game 1: Amherst 10, Wesleyan 1 (5)
Kaitlin Silkowitz '14 (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and Reilly Horan '13 (Darien, Conn.) led an Amherst offense that pounded out 13 hits in game one, going a combined 6-for-7 with six runs scored.
Hoping to get off to a fast start, the Jeffs jumped on the board with three in the first as Silkowitz singled with one out, stole second, advanced to third on a wild throw and scored on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Horan singled through the right side before Carolyn Miller '14 (Leominster, Mass.) followed with a walk. Both runners later scored on a two-base error on senior Carly Dudzik's (Darien, Conn.) fly ball to right field.
Looking to add to its tally, Amherst extended its lead to 5-0 in the third. Leading off with a double to right center, Horan advanced to third on Dudzik's single through the left side, before first-year Idalia Friedson (Trumbull, Conn.) slapped a two-out single to clear the bases.
Breaking the game open with a four-run fourth, Silkowitz got the rally started, reaching on an infield single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Donna Leet '15 (Seattle, Wash.) followed with a grounder to short that was mishandled, giving the visitors runners on the corners.
After Leet stole second, Horan reached on a fielder's choice to third that plated Silkowitz. A wild pitch would allow another Jeff run to come home, before a Dudzik walk and a double steal put runners on second and third. Capping off the inning, Theresa Kelley (Los Angeles, Calif.) singled in Horan and Dudzik to extend the visitors' margin to 9-0.
Arielle Doering (Branchburg, N.J.), who cruised through four innings, allowing just four hits while striking out three, earned the victory for the Jeffs, while Kelley threw a 1-2-3 fifth to seal the win. Senior Dana Levy (Westport, Conn.) took the loss for Wesleyan, allowing nine runs (four earned) in three and two thirds.
Game 2: Amherst 10, Wesleyan 2 (6)
Looking to close out the three-game sweep, Kelley was equally brilliant in the nightcap, throwing five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and fanning three, while going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI. Improving to 17-0, she lowered her ERA to 0.87, while raising her seasonal strikeout total to 147, against just 15 walks.
Wesleyan first-year Haylle Reidy surrendered eight runs (five earned) in five and two-thirds innings in the loss.
Again jumping out to an early cushion, Amherst gave Kelley all the run support she would need with a five-run second. Horan led things off with a walk before Miller put two on after getting hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Dudzik advanced the runners and two batters later, Friedson ripped a grounder just inside the first-base line to plate the game's first score. The Jeffs followed with two more singles to load the bases before a throwing error on a grounder by Silkowitz plated the third Amherst run. Keeping things rolling, Leet then ripped a two-run single up the middle to make it 5-0.
Looking to put the game out of reach, Amherst put up another five-spot in the sixth to go up 10-0. With two outs, Silkowitz drew a walk to extend the inning before back-to-back singles by Leet and Horan brought in the Jeffs' sixth run. Consecutive walks then made it 7-0 before Kelley followed with a hard grounder through the right side that rolled to the wall for a bases-clearing double, making it 10-0.
BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
