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Jim Brown

Smith Softball Sweeps Clark

April 12, 2015

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WORCESTER, Mass. - The Smith College softball team outscored Clark University, 14-2 Sunday, sweeping the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader.

Smith (7-13, 3-9 NEWMAC) won game one, 4-0, and finished off the sweep with a 10-2 romp in game two. The Pioneers also outhit the Cougars, 23-17 during the twinbill.

First-year Rowan Turner (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) (2-6) earned her first career complete-game shutout victory in game one, while junior Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) recorded her second win of the season in the circle in game two. Turner struck out a career-high seven and scattered eight hits with one walk, and Brown allowed just one earned while striking out six and scattering nine hits.

Sophomore Allison Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) was 4-for-7 (.571) on the day with two home runs, two runs scored and four RBI. Snyder's five home runs this season are currently the most in the NEWMAC, and the most by a Pioneer in a single-season since Megan Kiefer hit a school-record seven during the 2008 season. Brown went 4-for-8 (.500) with two home runs, two runs scored and four RBI, while sophomore Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) went 3-for-6 (.500) with two runs scored, one double, and a RBI.

Juniors Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay) and Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) each went 3-for-8 in the two-game set, while Turner added a pair of runs batted in.

GAME ONE – Smith 4, Clark 0

Smith used a run in the top of the third inning, followed by two runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to secure the game one win.

Blokker's double to left center in the top of the third gave the Pioneers a runner in scoring position with two outs in the frame. After Blokker stole third, Giordano's bunt-single brought her home to stake Smith to an early 1-0 lead.

After Turner twirled a hit-less third, the bats came back alive for Smith in the fourth, as senior Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) got hit by a pitch to give the Pioneers the lead runner on. First-year Caroline Eyman (Bethlehem, N.H./Profile) came in to pinch run for Richardson and promptly stole second, coming around to score on Kushner's RBI-single to left field. After back-to-back singles by Snyder and sophomore Ruth Zimmerman (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens) loaded the bases for Smith, Blokker brought Kushner in from third with a single through the left side to give the Pioneers a 3-0 advantage.

Brown's lead off, solo bomb to left field put the Pioneers ahead, 4-0, in the top of the fifth. Turner allowed just three hits over the final three innings to close out the win for Smith.

GAME TWO – Smith 10, Clark 2

Smith recorded 12 hits, including a five-run, five-hit fifth inning that broke the game open in the visitors favor.

Giordano led off the top of the first with a bunt single, and advanced to second on a throwing by Clark's pitcher. Giordano later scored on a RBI-groundout by Brown.

Clark tied the contest, 1-1 in the bottom of the first, but the Pioneers took the lead right back in the second, as Kushner led off the frame with a double down the left field line, and came around to score on another error by the Cougars' pitcher.

Clark tied the contest, 2-2 with a run on two hits in the bottom of the fourth.

Blokker and Giordano led off the fifth with back-to-back singles, and both came around to score on Turner's double down the left field line. After Clark made the call to the bullpen, Brown singled to center field to advance Turner to third, and sophomore Kristina Gaffny (Reading, Mass./Austin Prep), pinch-running for Brown, stole second to give the Pioneers runners on second and third with two-outs in the frame. Both runners trotted home on Snyder's three-run bomb to left field to give Smith a 7-2 lead.

After a scoreless sixth by both teams, Turner led off the seventh by reaching on a throwing error by Clark's third baseman. Brown brought Turner in to score on her third home run of the season, and Snyder followed with a solo shot, her second of the contest, later in the frame.

The Pioneers are scheduled to travel to Amherst College on Wednesday, April 15 for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.
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