Box Score WELLESLEY, Mass. –
Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore)'s home run in the top of the seventh was the difference while
Gina Martucci (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township) twirled her eighth shutout of the season to send the sixth-seeded Smith College softball team to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Softball Championship title round with a 1-0 triumph over second-seeded Wheaton on Saturday morning.
Brown cleared the fence in center field to provide the offensive heroics in the top of the seventh while Martucci (18-6) allowed five hits and struck out three over seven innings.
Both teams mustered a two-out hit in the first inning as Brown lifted a 1-2 offering to shallow right and Jenna Rocha sent a single through the left side.
Ruth Zimmerman (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens) notched a two out single in the third while Rebecca Seifert logged a leadoff hit and was erased on a fielder's choice put into play by Ashley Brillon. Emma Hart followed with a single to third base. Jenna Rocha moved Brillon and Hart to second and third with a ground out; however, Brown grabbed a line drive to end the threat.
The Pioneers retired the next six batters before Hart opened the bottom of the sixth with a single to short. Rocha quickly followed with an infield ground out to move Hart into scoring position.
Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) hauled in a foul out and
Allison Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) made a spectacular catch in right to end the frame.
Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay) bunted her way on in the top of the sixth but was erased as Emma Hart made a diving catch in center field and turned the double play.
Brown led off the seventh with a first pitch home run. Richardson's attempt for the duo's second back-to-back blasts this season was grabbed by Hart.
Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) also flied out to center while
Gina Martucci (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Township) grounded to third.
After Martucci set down Hatch with a swinging strikeout to open the home half of the seveth, Mary DeMoura, pinch hitting for Erin Deneen, reached on a seeing-eye single and stole second. Ashley Vertente pushed DeMoura to third with a ground out. Seifert grounded to
Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) to end the game and send the Pioneers into the championship round.
Brown finished the day, 2-for-3 including the game-winner, while Zimmerman and Giordano added the only other Smith hits in the win. Wheaton was paced by Hart's two hits, while Rocha, DeMoura and Seifert added singles. Wheaton's Baker suffered the loss, throwing seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits. She struck out a pair of batters without a walk, moving to 14-5 on the season.
Smith (19-12) will need to defeat top-seeded Wellesley twice to secure its first NEWMAC title since 1998. Wheaton (30-10) now awaits a potential NCAA Division III Softball Championship at-large berth.
(Contributions from Wellesley College)
