Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 NORTHAMPTON, Mass. –
Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) and
Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) belted back-to-back home runs in game one as
Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay) helped manufacture the only run in game two as the Smith College softball team swept Emerson 4-1 and 1-0 (8 inn.) on Saturday afternoon in a key New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader.
Smith, who posted its first NEWMAC sweep since defeating WPI 1-0 and 5-0 on April 18, 2008, improved to 13-9 overall and 6-8 in the conference while Emerson dipped to 13-17 and 2-12. The last Pioneer home sweep was on March 30, 2008 when the Pioneers downed MIT 9-2 and 4-3.
Emerson got on the board first courtesy of an RBI single through the left side by Monique Medina. After a pair of ground outs to begin the home half of the frame, Brown and Richardson went yard to give the Pioneers the 2-1 lead. Smith retired the Lions in order over the next four innings.
Allison Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) made it a 3-1 ball game as she scored on a miscue on a ball put into play by
Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) in the fifth. The Pioneers added another tally in the sixth as Snyder's double to left allowed
Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) to score. The Lions went down 1-2-3 in the seventh as the Pioneers claimed the victory.
Snyder went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored while the top five in the lineup all recorded a hit for the Pioneers.
Gina Martucci (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township) struck out seven as she collected the victory in her 11th complete game of the season.
Amanda Horton, Jenna Gianelli and Medina accounted for the three Emerson hits while Alexandra Magistro and Alicia Daniele each saw time in the circle.
Game two saw Martucci and Daniele go the distance as each team's defense helped keep the game scoreless until the very end.
Emerson's Shannon Torosian executed a solo double play on a liner to short to end the first.
The Lions had a pair of runners threatening in the top of the third but Martucci struck out two of the next three looking while Giordano handled a line drive in left field to keep the game scoreless.
Two innings later, Brown snagged a line drive destined for right field to open the stanza. Richardson later snared a liner to end the frame.
Snyder gunned down Medina at first for the second out of the sixth.
With a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, Martucci escaped frame with a swinging strikeout. Martucci later helped keep a run off the board as she fielded a bunt and helped erase the lead runner at the plate in the top of the eighth.
Giordano executed a bunt hit and combined with an overthrow allowed Snyder to cross home plate for the Pioneer victory.
Blokker batted 2-for-3 in the second game while Martucci scattered five hits over eight innings and struck out six.
Sarah Tully (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) added a double for the Pioneers.
Emerson's Tatiana Motevelli-Oliner was a perfect 2-for-2 as she and Torosian each smacked a double. Daniele shouldered the setback as she allowed seven hits over seven-plus innings and struck out a pair.
Smith welcomes Amherst on Wednesday for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference set. Emerson hosts Coast Guard on Friday at 3:00 p.m.
