AMHERST, Mass. -- The Amherst College softball team had difficulty reaching base Sunday and the result was a 4-0, 6-1 sweep at the hands -- and arms -- of the visiting Williams College Ephs.
The Mammoths fell to 7-22 overall and 3-11 in conference play. Williams improved to 13-10 overall and 7-5 in the NESCAC. Amherst will hist WPI Wednesday for a twinbill beginning at 3 p.m.
Game 1: Williams 4, Amherst 0
* Amherst first-year
Annalise Knop found herself in an old-fashioned pitcher's dual with Eph ace Sadie Leonard, and she was up to the task for six innings.
* Williams did manage to push across a run in the top of the third when Ronnie Ramos lined an RBI-single just past the glove of Mammoth first sacker
Abby Moravek with two outs.
* In the meantime, Leonard was at her best, retiring the first 16 Mammoths she faced. Her perfect game was broken up with one out in the sixth when
Heidi Li laid down a bunt and was safe when the throw to first was dropped for an error.
Jenna Holmes laid down a nice sacrifice bunt for Amherst, moving Li to second. It was Knop who broke up the no-hitter, bouncing ground ball just past the shortstop. Li held up at third on the hit, and Leonard escaped the jam by inducing a pop up for the final out.
* Williams broke the game open with a three-run top of the seventh. Again, Ramos had the big blow, blasting a two-run double to center field with one out.
* Amherst senior
Randi Finkelstein had a one-out bunt single in the bottom of the seventh, but Leonard retired the enxt two Mammoths to finish off her 2-hit shutout.
* Knop took the loss, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 10 hits and four runs, all earned, while walking no one and striking out two.
Game 2: Williams 6, Amherst 1
* Williams scored one run in the second, two in the third, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to build a 6-0 lead.
* Eph hurler Katie Blanch no-hit the Mammoths for 3 2/3 innings.
Emma Nordstrom broke up the no-hit bid with two outs in the fourth, singling up the middle.
* In the bottom of the fifth, the Mammoths put runners on second and third with one out down 5-0.
Anna Primozic drew a lead-off walk. After the first out, Li singled to left field. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, but Branch bore down and retired the next two Mammoths on a pair of ground outs.
* In the Amherst sixth, down 6-0, Knop led off the inning with a single. With one out, she raced to third on a wild pitch, advancing two bases. Nordstrom worked a walk. Finkelstein then drove home the only run of the day, beating out a grounder that forced out Nordstrom at second but scored Knop.
* Knop, Nordstrom and Li had the hits for Amherst. Primozic and Nordstrom drew walks.
*
Dani Torres Werra took the game two loss for the Mammoths going the first 2 2//3 innings.
