LEESBURG, Fla. - Senior outfielder
Ally Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) extended her own career home run record at Smith College and senior second baseman
Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) added a dinger of her own as the Pioneers split a pair of games on the final day in Florida. Smith earned an 11-4 win over Trinity College in the first game and then dropped a 6-4 decision to Western Connecticut State in game two.
RECORDS
- SMITH: 3-7
- Trinity: 6-2
- WESTERN CONNECTICUT: 8-6
GAME 1: SMITH 11 TRINITY 4
Smith put up a three-spot in the top of the first inning in game one, highlighted by a two-run single by Alyssa Pioggia (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow). The Pioneers added a run in the top of the third thanks to an RBI-double to center field off the bat of Ally Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) to open up a 4-0 lead.
The Bantam offense strung together 14 hits in the game but struggled to turn them into runs. Trinity ended the shutout in the top of the sixth when sophomore Courtney Erickson crossed the plate on a groundout by first-year Nikki Andersen. A single scored first-year Meghan Golia to cut Smith's lead to 5-2 after five.
The Pioneers put the game out of reach with a six-run top of the seventh inning to open up an 11-2 lead. Snyder ignited the rally with a two-run homerun while Ruth Zimmerman (Edison, N.J./J.P. Stevens) and Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) chipped in run-scoring doubles in the inning. Erickson blasted a two-run homerun that scored junior Katie Haghdan in the bottom of the frame but it was not enough as Smith held on for the win.
Senior pitcher Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) went the full seven innings, allowing four runs on 14 hits with three strikeouts.
GAME 2: SMITH 4 WESTERN CONNECTICUT 6
West Conn broke the ice in the top of the third when Natalia Hart ripped a double to left field, scoring Jenna Gaudioso. Sofia Plasczynski followed up with a double of her own to send Hart across the plate, giving the Colonials to a 2-0 advantage.
Smith would rally to knot the count at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a two run homer from Blokker, her first of the year.
However, WestConn retaliated to regain the lead with a pair in the sixth before adding an insurance run in the seventh when Geysen roped an RBI double, extending the lead to 6-3. Smith scored a run on an error to conclude the tally at 6-4.
The Pioneers are scheduled to host Western New England University Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. Follow @smithpioneers on Twitter or visit smithpioneers.com for schedule updates.
