CLERMONT, Fla. – In her first collegiate start, first-year
Lauren Ro delivered a three-run homer to left field that helped the Amherst women's softball team open its season with a dominant start, sweeping its opening-day slate at the Spring games. The Mammoths kicked off Sunday morning with a 6-3 victory over the University of Southern Maine before carrying that momentum into game two, defeating Macalester College 10-1.
The Mammoths rose to 2-0 on the season, while Maine fell to 0-3 and Macalester to 5-3. Amherst is slated to face Endicott College at 2 p.m. and the University of Chicago at 4:30 p.m. in a doubleheader on Monday as the Spring Games continue.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
Game 2: Amherst College 10, Macalester College 1 (5 inn.)
*Macalester struck first in the top of the first inning when sophomore Callia Holland singled to left field and advanced to second on the throw. On the play, senior Sophie Futchko, who had reached second on a fielder's choice, raced to home plate to put the Scots on the board.
*Amherst broke the game open with a four-run first inning. With the bases loaded, sophomore
America Rangel equalized the game 1-1 with a run following a wild pitch. First-year
Abby Rebhan then lined a hit and raced to second as first-year
May Mishima plated Amherst's second run. The Mammoths extended their lead to 4-1 after a line-drive single from senior
Dani Torres Werra and another wild pitch brought first-year
Lulu Leppard and Rebhan home.
*The Mammoths stayed hot at the plate in the bottom of the second as they pushed their lead to 9-1. Mishima and Rangel led off the inning as a single from Rebhan, and a throwing error from the Scots allowed the two runners to make their way around the diamond to score. After junior
Dylan Briggs doubled down the left field line, Rebhan extended Amherst's lead to 7-1. Two more singles from Ro and sophomore
Emma Nordstrom pushed the scoreboard to 9-1 as Torres Werra and Briggs crossed the plate.
*A sacrifice fly to the center field from Leppard at the bottom of the third stanza led Rangel to plate the only run of the inning.
*Rebhan substituted for Torres Werra in the circle and kept the Scots off the board in the final inning of the contest. Macalester threatened to score with the bases loaded, but Mishima recorded an out at second base to end the game with a mercy rule.
Game 1: Amherst College 6, University of Southern Maine 3
*Torres Werra led the way from the circle, allowing just one hit from the Huskies through two innings of work. The Mammoths created opportunities, as Torres Werra, Briggs, and junior
Abby Kong reached base to load the bases at the top of the second, but Amherst could not capitalize.
*The Mammoths strung their hits together in the top of the third to score five consecutive runs. Mishima sparked the rally with a walk, followed by Leppard hitting a single to advance Mishima to third and Leppard to second. Rebhan then hit a grounder to shortstop, allowing Leppard to reach third and Mishima to cross the plate. Another groundout led Leppard to race home. After a single from Briggs led her to second and a fielding error lifted Kong to first, Ro cracked a fly to left that sailed over the head of the Huskie left field, landed near the left-field line and then bounded into foul territory and back to the fence. Ro raced around the bases and wit a dramatic headfirst slide, was safe at home for a three-run, inside-te-park home run.
*Husky junior Alana DeLisle retaliated with a run at the bottom of the third to make it 5-1, but catches from Rebhan and Rangel slowed Southern Maine's momentum.
*Leppard added to Amherst's lead with a triple to left center at the top of the fourth inning, allowing Rangel to make a run from third base to cross the plate.
*Southern Maine scored two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, weakening Amherst's advantage to 6-3, but two Husky groundouts caught by Rangel helped the Mammoths close the game 6-3.
* Torres Werra earned the win, going the distance in a seven-inning stint while allowing six hits while walking just one and striking out three. Leppard led the offense, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and run scored. Briggs was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
