WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.--
Dani Torres Werra and
Abby Moravek threw complete games Friday afternoon as the Amherst College softball team picked up a critical sweep of NESCAC rival Williams College at the Ephs' Cole Field, winning the opener 4-1 and taking the nightcap 7-2.
Amherst improved to 7-5 in conference play and 19-11 overall. The Mammoths will host Hamilton in another conference doubleheader Saturday, with the first game slated to begin at 2 p.m. Williams slid to 11-13 overall, and 5-5 in conference play.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:
* Torres Werra threw a 4-hitter with no walks while center fielder
Rachel Lovejoy made a pair of big plays in the victory.
* Amherst got on the board first in the top of the second when
Autumn Lee led off with an opposite-field single to left. Rand Finkelstein worked a walk and
Jess Butler bunted them over to second and third with one out. After a strikeout,
America Rangel hit a dribble down the first-base line and beat it out for an infield single on a bang-bang play at first base to score Lee for the 1-0 lead.
* The Mammoths added to their lead with three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Lovejoy drew a lead-off walk and Torres Werra reached on an error.
Sadie Pool dropped down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Lee then served a bloop single into left field to score Lovejoy. After an out, Butler drilled a pitch down the right-field line that rolled to the fence, allowing her to slide into third with a two-run triple and the four-run Amherst lead.
* William responded in its half of the fourth, scoring a run on two hits and an error and having a runner on third with no outs down 4-1. But Lovejoy raced to her left when the next batter lofted a shallow fly to right center, caught the ball for the first out, and delivered a strike to Butler at the plate in time to tag out the runner from third for a double play.
* Lee finished 3 for 4 at the plate with one RBI and two runs scored. Torres Werra was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:
* Amherst took a 2-0 lead four batters into the nightcap.
Megan Taketa lined a single through the left side, Lovejoy was hit by a pitch, Torres Werra sacrificed them to second and third with a bunt, and Pool hit the first pitch she saw back up the middle for a two-run single.
* Williams tied it in its half of the first, the only two runs Moravek would allow.
* The Mammoths quickly re-took the lead in the second. With one out, Butler singled to center and Moravek doubled into the gap. Rangel singled to center to score Butler. In the fourth, Rangel had a big base hit with two outs, and the bases loaded to add another run and give Amherst a 4-2 lead.
* In the fifth, another big two-out hit, this one a single up the middle by Lee, scored Torres Werra, who had doubled, for a 5-2 advantage.
* In the sixth, Amherst scored two more with two outs on a two-run home run to right off the bat of
Randi Finkelstein, her 10th long ball of the season.
* Moravek went the distance, allowing nine hits while walking one and striking out one. Only one of the runs she allowed was earned.
* The Mammoths had 14 hits. Rangel went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Taketa was 3 for 5 with a run scored. Lee was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Pool was 2 for 4 with two RBI.
