Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BOSTON, Mass. –
Gina Martucci (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township) spun a two-hit shutout and
Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) had a hand in all six runs as the Smith College softball team earned a split with Babson in the 2014 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opener for both teams as the Pioneers rebounded from a 9-2 setback in game one to blank the Beavers 4-0 in nightcap. Smith moves to 7-2 on the season while Babson, who is receiving votes in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 Poll, sits at 9-4.
Martucci struck out nine and walked one in her sixth win of the season as the Pioneers won game two. Blokker went 2-for-2 with a double, two walks, one RBI and three runs scored.
Ruth Zimmerman (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens) and
Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) also contributed with a pair of hits while
Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) doubled for the Pioneers.
Emily Morris connected on a double and Catie Benoit singled as they accounted for both of Babson's hits. Megham Hayes (2-3) surrendered three runs – two earned – on five hits in 4 1/3. Tess Rubega yielded the final run on six hits in 2 2/3.
Smith had a pair of runners in scoring position over the first three innings while Babson had one. With one out in the top of the fourth,
Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay) hit into a fielder's choice to help Blokker score the only run the Pioneers would need.
Blokker drove in Kushner with a ground rule double and later scored on a single through the left side by
Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) as Smith grabbed the 3-0 advantage after five.
Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) then plated Blokker with a run-producing single to left in the seventh.
Babson left a trio of runners aboard while the Pioneer defense retired the side in order in the first, third, fifth and seventh.
The first game saw Brown, Giordano and Brown each record a hit for the Pioneers. The fifth spot in the lineup went 1-for-1 with a pair of walks as Kristina Gaffney earned the free passes and Brown used a pinch hit appearance to drive in Blokker in the sixth. Gaffney also swiped a pair of bases.
Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) (1-2) shouldered the loss for the Pioneers in the complete game effort.
Maya Lacy batted 3-for-4 with a double, four RBI and a run scored. Meaghan Merullo and Katie Guido (double, home run) each batted 2-for-2 while Guido added three runs scored. Kathleen Conway allowed two runs – one earned – on three hits and fanned seven in six innings. Rubega induced a trio of ground outs to set down the final three batters of the game in order.
Smith opened the scoring as Blokker crossed home plate as part of a double steal in the second. Babson responded in the third as Guido connected on a solo shot to center field.
Lacy smacked a bases-clearing double as the Beavers took the 4-1 lead after four. Leslie Moore used a 2-RBI double in the fifth to extend the hosts lead to 6-1. Brown then used her pinch hit appearance to plate Blokker and make it 6-2 in the top of the sixth. The home half of the frame saw the Beavers push the lead out to seven (9-2) as Lacy and Kathleen Con each singled in a run and Lindsey Schm drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly to center.
Both teams step out of conference action with 3:00 p.m. sets on Wednesday. The Pioneers head to Western New England while Babson hosts Bridgewater State.
