Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College softball team was swept in a doubleheader by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 9-0 and 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.  After the two games, the Pioneers honored seniors Brittany Purington (Weare, N.H./John Stark) and Tessa Clark (Calais, Maine/Calais) for their contributions to the program.

Smith is now 6-16, and 0-10 against NEWMAC opposition, while MIT is 14-9, and 4-4 against NEWMAC foes.

Game One

The Pioneers were limited to three hits in the opener, while MIT was powered by a complete game, seven strikeout effort from starter Ellie Fodor.

MIT got on the board first in the second inning when Leah Alpert led off with a single and scored on Kelsey McLaughlin's single to center field.  The Engineers made it 3-0 in the third when Tori Jensen cracked a 2-RBI double that brought in Alexandra Marshall and Anna Christiensen.

Smith hit back in the bottom of the third.  Sam Chinn (Tuscon, Ariz./St. Gregory) led off with a single, and Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay) reached on a fielder's choice with none out, but two more fielder's choices and a a grounded ended the threat.

MIT added two more runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth for the final margin of victory.  

Chinn finished with two of Smith's three hits, while Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) had the other.  Gina Martucci (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township) went the distance in the circle, striking out four.

Sarah Van Belleghem was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run for MIT, while Jensen, Alpert, and McLaughlin each had two hits.


Game Two

The second game was a nip-and-tuck affair, as the two teams combined to leave nine runners on base.

Giordano made only her second career start, and got out of trouble in the first.  The Engineers had two on when Marshall was hit by a pitch and Christensen singled, but Smith's defense held firm when Tessa Clark (Calais, Maine/Calais) picked up Jensen's short single into center and threw out Marshall at the plate.  Giordano then struck out Alpert to end the threat.

MIT did break the scoreless tie in the third when Van Belleghem doubled down the left field line and scored on Christensen's single to right field.  

Smith responded in the bottom of the fourth.  Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) smoked a double to left-center to open the inning, and moved to third on Kushner's bunt single.

Richardson tied up the game with a single to left.  Smith loaded the bases thanks to Clark's single to center, and nearly took the lead on Purington's well executed squeeze bunt, but the throw home arrived just ahead of Kushner's slide to leave the game tied at one.

Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) relieved Giordano in the top of the fifth and kept MIT at bay until the top of the seventh.  Alex Burgess reached on a bunt single and took second on an error.  After Van Belleghem walked, Marshall singled into right field, bringing home Burgess.  

Kristina Gaffny (Reading, Mass./Austin Prep) singled up the middle with two out in the seventh, but Chinn popped up to third base to end the game.

Marshall picked up the win, striking out eight in seven innings.  Giordano finished with four strikeouts in the first four innings, while Brown allowed three hits in three innings of relief work.

Inclement weather on Friday will force both teams to play doubleheaders on Sunday.  Smith will host Springfield in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., while MIT will host Babson in a noon start.