| Smith College Softball Game Notes |
| Game 20, 21 |
Smith (6-14) at Amherst (11-3, 3-3) |
| Date / Time |
Wednesday, April 12, 2017 | 3:30 p.m./5:30 p.m. |
| Location |
Amherst, Mass. |
| Series History |
Amherst leads 22-11. Last Meeting: Smith 3 Amherst 5:
April 13, 2016 |
| Watch Live |
Video |
| Follow Live |
Live Stats |
| Team Information |
Smith / Amherst |
| Twitter |
@smithpioneers |
| Instagram |
@smithcollegesoftball | @smithpioneers |
THE SERIES
The game marks the 34th meeting between the two programs, dating back to the first contest during the 1997 season - a 5-3 Amherst victory. The Purple and White lead the series 22-11. Smith's last win came during the 2015 season.
LAST MEETING
The Smith College softball team fought to the end but was unable to prevail in extra innings of game one as Amherst College picked up two wins on April 13, 2016. The Mammoths escaped with a 3-2 nine inning win in game one, and took the nightcap, 5-3, as the game ended in the sixth inning.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
The Smith College softball team heads down the road to Amherst College for a non-conference doubleheader hoping to snap a six game losing streak. The Pioneers faced a tough opponent in No. MIT Monday afternoon. The Engineers won game one 8-0 and followed that with a 5-0 shutout. Senior
Ruth Zimmerman (Edison, N.J./J.P. Stevens) registered two of the Pioneers' three hits on the day. Leading the offense this season is senior
Ally Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) who is batting .389 with 21 hits, 22 RBI and five homers.
Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) leads the Pioneers with 24 hits, batting .381 with eight doubles. Junior
Rowan Turner (Kansas City, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) and senior
Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) split the pitching duties for Smith. Both are 3-7 on the season with Burchat owning a 5.13 ERA while Turner's earned run average is 5.61.
SCOUTING AMHERST
Amherst returns 12 healthy veterans from last year's squad in addition to adding four newcomers. At the helm, third-year head coach Jessica Johnson says the team has a "well-balanced attack with a great mix of finesse, ability to hit for average, and power from both sides of the plate." Offensively, the Mammoths are led by two First Team All-NESCAC selections, sophomores Kyra Naftel and Sammy Salustri. This season, Naftel is batting .482 with 40 hits and 20 RBI while Salustri is hitting .281. Primed for a successful season in the circle, Amherst's depth chart goes four deep with plenty of talent led by Second Team All-NESCAC pitcher, Lorena Ukanwa who is 3-2 with a 3.73 ERA in 2017. In 14 appearances, junior Gina Pagan is 11-3 with a 1.65 ERA in seven complete games.
UP NEXT
Smith returns to conference action where the Pioneers will host WPI Friday at 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.
