SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – First-year Gwen Religa led the Amherst College softball team on Wednesday night as the pitcher struck out twelve batters to help cruise the Mammoths to a 6-2 win over Springfield College in their second game of their series at Potter Field.
Despite closing the gap with late runs, the Mammoths were unable to overcome an early deficit in their first game as Amherst dropped an 8-5 decision to Springfield.
Amherst moved to 8-16 overall while Springfield progressed to a 16-9 record on the season. Up next, the Mammoths will stay on the road to face Trinity College in Hartford on Saturday, where they'll face the Bantams in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the Trinity Softball Field.
Game Two: Amherst College 6, Springfield College 2
*With 2 outs and sophomore May Mishima at first in the top of the second, junior Anna Promozic drew a hit-by-pitch to give Amherst runners at first and second. First-year Samantha Portz then tripled down the right field line to drive in both Mishima and Promozic, 2-0.
*In the bottom of the second, Religa put in strong work from inside the circle, striking out all three batters back-to-back.
*Following two lead-off outs in the top of the third, sophomore Laura Daniels lifted the ball to left center field to reach second. First-year Julia O'Connell then plated Daniels with a single up the middle, 3-0. After a single put Mishima and O'Connell on first and second, respectively, senior Dylan Briggs powered a double down the left field line to plate both runners. Finally, Promozic notched a left-field double of her own to drive in Briggs, 6-0.
*Springfield got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases as a single from senior Amelia DeRosa brought sophomore Aurora Levesque home. But Amherst's fielders soon ended the Pride's momentum as they quickly drove in the third out on a fly-out, 6-1.
*Following back-and-forth run-less stanzas, Springfield return to action in the bottom of the sixth, plating a run from senior Taylor Falotico on a double from sophomore Reilly Hunter, 6-2.
*Religa struck out two more batters in the final frame to seal Amherst's victory.
BY THE NUMBERS:
*Briggs led for Amherst, batting 1-3 with 1 run and 2 RBI. Mishima went 2-3 with 2 runs, while Portz went 1-4 with 2 RBI.
*Hunter went 1-3 for Springfield with 1 RBI, while DeRosa went 1-4 with 1 RBI.
*Religa recorded 12 strikeouts and allowed 7 hits over 7 innings, while sophomore Julia Rimshnick recorded 2 strikeouts and allowed 9 hits over 7 innings.
Game One: Springfield College 8, Amherst College 5
*Springfield got on the board in the first inning as a walk and a wild pitch sent Hunter to second, who then scored on a single up the right side from senior Kate Katsetos, 1-0.
*The Pride extended their lead to 3-0 in the following frame. After senior Emilia Santiago drew a lead-off walk, sophomore Haley Ball plated the runner with a double to right center field. Ball then scored on a single down the right side from DeRosa, 3-0.
*Amherst responded in the top of the third as two singles and a sacrifice bunt delivered junior Emma Nordstrom to third, who then finished her run around the diamond as first-year Brooke Wild lifted a single down the middle, 3-1.
*In the same frame, Springfield quickly widened the gap with a four-run inning. Katsetos led off with a single to center field, advancing to third following a single from senior Carissa Pecchia and a wild pitch. With runners at second and third, sophomore Brynlee Eckles drove in both players as she powered a single to right center, 5-1. With two outs, back-to-back singles then added two more runs, 7-1.
*With the bases loaded and zero outs in the bottom of the fourth, Amherst's fielders put away two runners on a double play. But Springfield still managed to add one more as a wild pitch plated Santiago, 8-1.
*After a hit-by-pitch, a wild pitch, and a throwing error loaded the bases for Amherst in the top of the fifth, sophomore Lulu Leppard gave Amherst a lifeline with an emphatic triple down right center field, plating both Wild and first-year Samantha Portz, 8-3.
*Amherst added two more in the top of the sixth as a single and a fielder's choice plated senior Olivia Aitkin and Nordstrom, respectively, 8-5.
BY THE NUMBERS:
*DeRosa went 3-5 with 2 RBI, Katsetos went 2-3 with 1 run and 1 RBI, and Ball went 2-4 with 1 run and 1 RBI.
*For Amherst, Leppard went 2-4 with 2 RBI, sophomore Abby Rebhan went 2-3 with 1 RBI, and Portz went 1-2 with 1 run and 1 RBI.
*Senior Abby Moravek recorded 1 strikeout and allowed 8 hits over 2 innings, while Rebhan recorded 1 strikeout and allowed 6 hits over 3 innings. For Springfield, DeRosa recorded 6 strikeouts and allowed 11 hits over 7 innings.
