AMHERST, Mass. – First-year Julia O'Oconnell lined a ground ball down center field to plate her first career RBI for the Amherst College softball team on Wednesday evening, although the late effort was not enough to overcome a hot-batting Smith roster as the Mammoths fell 4-2 in six innings of play in their second game at the Amherst Softball Field.
The Mammoths were unable to overcome a five-run deficit in their first game as Amherst was bested 6-1.
Amherst fell to 7-11 overall while Smith improved to 11-10 for the season. The Mammoths will host Tufts next for an exciting series back on the Amherst Softball Field at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Game Two: Smith College 4, Amherst College 2 (6 Innings)
*First-year Gabbie Chinnis led off the opening frame with a single up the left side, then reached second with a steal. A throwing error completed her run around the diamond and put Smith on the scoreboard, 1-0.
*The Bears extended their lead to 2-0 in the second as a single and a sacrifice bunt put first-year Sophie Hasegawa on second. Sophomore Lily Hackett then lifted a drive to right field and plated Hasegawa, 2-0.
*While the Mammoths continued to be snuffed at the plate, Smith added two more in the third. Chinnis led off with a single, advancing to second on a walk and reaching scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from first-year Riley Veenstra. While sophomore May Mishima grounded out junior Bailey Gray, Chinnis crossed the plate. First-year Violet Peverly followed up with a run of her own on the next play as Hasegawa sailed a single down the middle, 4-0.
*In the bottom of the frame, sophomore Lauren Ro reached on a single and advanced to third on a fielding error, but two fly-outs closed the inning before she could convert.
*First-year Gwen Religa struck out two Smith batters in both the fourth and fifth innings to relegate the Bears to two hit-less stanzas.
*Sophomore Lulu Leppard fired Amherst's best hit of the day with a drive toward the center fence, reaching third on an impressive individual effort. Sophomore Abby Rebhan followed up, reaching second on a walk and a steal. With two outs, O'Connell gave Amherst the lifeline it needed as the batter hit a ground ball up the middle to plate both Leppard and Rebhan, 4-2.
*Darkness closed the game early at six innings, ending the contest 4-2.
BY THE NUMBERS:
*Hasegawa went 2-2 with 1 run and 1 RBI, and Chinnis went 2-2 with 2 runs. O'Connell went 1-1 with 1 RBI, and Leppard went 2-3 with 1 run for Amherst.
*B. Gray recorded 2 strikeouts and allowed 6 hits over 6 innings, while Rebhan recorded 2 strikeouts and allowed 5 hits over 3 innings, and Religa recorded 5 strikeouts and allowed 1 hit over 3 innings.
Game One: Smith College 6, Amherst College 1
*Leppard opened scoring in the bottom of the first with a bunt to third base, plating Mishima as the ball was mishandled, 1-0.
*In the top of the second, the Bears struck back as a double from B. Gray and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with zero outs. Junior Ally Knutson then lined a single up the middle to bring B. Gray and Hasegawa home, 2-1.
*Chinnis led off the fifth inning with a walk, while a steal put the batter in scoring position. After Peverly lifted a single up center field, a throwing error pushed Chinnis across the plate. B. Gray followed up with a single up the middle to plate Peverly, 4-1.
*First-year Annie Katuska gave Amherst some insurance in the top of the fifth, striking out two batters from the mound.
*The Mammoths' best look of the sixth arrived with twin singles up center field from Katuska and junior Emma Nordstrom, but a foul-out brought Amherst's offensive momentum to a halt.
*In the top of the seventh, after first-year Anna Gray reached third following a walk and a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch plated the runner and delivered B. Gray to third. Junior Taz Tamai then sent a single down the center to plate B. Gray, 6-1.
BY THE NUMBERS:
*B. Gray went 3-4 with 2 runs and 1 RBI, Knutson went 2-4 with 2 RBI, and Peverly went 2-4 with 1 run and 1 RBI. On Amherst's end, Leppard went 1-3 with 1 RBI, and Mishima went 2-3 with 1 run.
*Peverly recorded 3 strikeouts and allowed 7 hits over 7 innings. Senior Abby Moravek struck out 5 and allowed 5 hits over 4 innings, while Katuska had 4 strikeouts and allowed 5 hits in 2 innings.
