AMHERST, Mass. -- Two timely hits would have reversed the fortune of the Amherst College softball team Wednesday, but, alas, they never came as the Mammoths dropped a doubleheader to Springfield College, 6-3 in the opener and 7-6 in the nightcap, at the Amherst Softball Field.
Both games ended with the tying runs on base for Amherst, which saw its record fall to 13-9 overall. Amherst will host Trinity College Saturday in another doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is slated for 12 p.m. Springfield improved to 23-3 overall.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:
*
Sadie Pool's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first scored
Megan Taketa with the game's first run, but the Pride responded with three runs in the top of the second to build a 3-1 lead.
* Amherst junior
Randi Finkelstein led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run -- her first of three homers in the doubleheader -- and the Mammoths tied the score later in the frame when Taketa reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and scored on
Rachel Lovejoy's two-out, RBI-double to the left-center field gap.
* A two-out, bases-clearing, three-run double in the top of the fifth from Springfield pinch-hitter Kristen Acocella gave the visitors a 6-3 lead.
* Amherst loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a groundout ended the contest.
* Amherst had seven hits. Finkelstein was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:
* Pool again gave the Mammoths a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-out, RBI-double to left center that scored Lovejoy. Finkelstein made it 2-0 in the bottom of the second with another solo home run.
* Springfield scored five runs in the top of the third, but Amherst answered in the bottom of the third when
Jess Butler led off with a booming triple to center and Finkelstein clubbed her third home run of the day, a two-run shot that made it a 5-4 game.
* Trailing 6-4, the Mammoths got one back in the sixth when, with two outs, Taketa doubled and Lovejoy singled her home.
* Down 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Pool led off with a single. Two outs later she was still on first, but
Autumn Lee singled to center and
Abby Moravek followed with a run-scoring double to the gap in left-center field. However, a fly out to right ended the threat and the contest.
* Amherst had 12 hits in the loss. Finkelstein was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and two runs scored. Pool was 3 for 4 in the loss.
Autumn Lee and
Megan Taketa were each 2 for 4.