HARTFORD, Conn. – The Amherst College softball team dropped both games in its Saturday doubleheader against Trinity College, losing 7-5 and 7-2, respectively, as the Bantams consistently tallied points to overtake the Mammoths at the Trinity Softball Field.
Amherst fell to 8-18 overall and 3-9 in NESCAC play, while Trinity improved to 16-10 overall and 7-5 in the conference. Up next, the Mammoths will return for a Tuesday doubleheader against WPI at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. hosted on the Amherst Softball Field.
Game One: Trinity College 7, Amherst College 5
*Trinity got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning, plating junior Isabella Calagna on a throwing error. Senior Mikayla O'Brien followed up on the next play with a single to put a runner on each base. Sophomore Kellie Schroffner then lifted the ball to right center field to return junior Heather Roch back to home plate on a fielder's choice. Another throwing error led to Trinity's third point of the frame as senior Lizzie Nelson crossed the plate, 3-0.
*Amherst tightened the Bantam lead in the following inning as sophomore Lulu Leppard slammed a triple down the left field line to plate sophomore May Mishima. Leppard then crossed the plate herself as junior Emma Norstrom sent a double to right center field, 3-2.
*The Mammoths grabbed their equalizer in the top of the fourth as junior Heidi Li singled up the middle, then scored on a double from junior Anna Promozic.
*In the bottom of the fourth, Trinity regained its lead as Schroffner sent a double down the left field line to give O'Brien a run, 4-3.
*After a quiet fifth inning, Trinity returned in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 7-3. Senior Annika Haley made her way around the diamond following two singles and a bunt, then scored on an O'Brien single with one out. With O'Brien and Nelson on first and second, respectively, senior Abigail Alper lifted the ball up left center field to plate both runners, 7-3.
*Amherst's bats heated up in the final inning, with Nordstrom plating both Leppard and Mishima on an early right center double with no outs. However, the effort was not enough as the game settled to a 7-5 decision in favor of Trinity.
By The Numbers:
*Nordstrom led for Amherst, going 2-3 with 3 RBI. Leppard followed closely, going 3-4 with 2 runs and 1 RBI.
*Alper led on Trinity's end, going 1-4 with 3 RBI. O'Brien went 3-3 with 2 runs and 1 RBI.
*First-year Annie Katuska recorded 3 strikeouts and allowed 6 hits over 5.1 innings, while senior Abby Moravek recorded 1 strikeout and allowed 1 hit over 0.2 innings. Senior Kaysen Shikar recorded 2 strikeouts and allowed 10 hits over 7 innings.
Game Two: Trinity College 7, Amherst College 2
*After a low-hitting first two innings, Amherst put the game's first points on the scoreboard in the top of the third as first-year Julia O'Connell reached on a drive down the right field line, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from first-year Samantha Portz, then scored on a pitching error, 1-0.
*Trinity quickly found its equalizer in the bottom of the same inning, plating Nelson as Alper slammed a triple down the right field, 1-1.
*Both sides suffered no-hit fourth innings, until sophomore Laura Daniels sent Amherst back into the lead with a double down the left field line in the top of the fifth, plating Li, 2-1.
*A six-point response from the Bantams in the bottom of the fifth diminished Amherst's efforts. First-year Avery Stadler led off with a walk, then advanced to third on a bunt from Nelson. A high-flying O'Brien ball was then settled by Amherst's fielders, but not before Stadler crossed home to make it 2-2. Alper then drove a single down the left field line to send Schroffner from second to home. And first-year Katie Ruffner drove in two more with a double to left center field. Finally, two more doubles from Calagna and junior Makenna True plated one runner apiece to make it 7-2.
*First-year Brooke Wild used a sacrifice bunt to push sophomore Abby Rebhan to second and Nordstrom to third in the top of the sixth, but a ground-out paused the Mammoths' momentum, which they were unable to drive further in the seventh.
By The Numbers:
*For Amherst, Daniels went 1-3 with 1 RBI and O'Connell went 2-3 with 1 run.
*Alper and Ruffner led the Bantams, going 2-4 with 2 RBI and 1-3 with 2 RBI, respectively. Calagna and True each went 1-3 with 1 RBI.
*First-year Gwen Religa recorded 5 strikeouts and allowed 5 hits over 4 innings, while Rebhan recorded 1 strikeout and allowed 3 hits over 1 inning. First-year Erin Connor recorded 1 strikeout and allowed 7 hits over 7 innings.
