WORCESTER, Mass. - The Clark University softball team put two more tallies in the win column today with a pair of NEWMAC victories over the Pioneers of Smith College. The Cougars walked-off with a 3-2 final in eight innings in game one of the day before racking up 13 hits in a 7-5 victory in game two. Smith drops to 4-12 overall and 1-5 in the NEWMAC, while Clark improves to 7-9 and 2-4.

GAME 1: SMITH 2 CLARK 3 (8 INNINGS)

-After three and a half scoreless innings the Cougars came alive with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Christina Kopacz got on base by a walk and senior Olivia Barksdale moved her to third when she reach on a fielding error by the Pioneers. First year Francesca Cirone got them both across home with a single to deep center field as Clark took a 2-0 lead.

-Smith responded with a run in the top of the fifth. Senior Alyssa Pioggia (East Longmeadow/East Longmeadow) doubled to right center to get things started and junior McKena Wagner earned the RBI with a double down a left field line (2-1).

-With two outs in the top of the seventh first year Eryn Lee (Saratoga, Calif./Saratoga) drilled a ball up the middle to score sophomore Rachael Newhall (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) for the tying run (2-2).

-Sophomore Kelsey Joyce was placed on second base as the runner for the international tie-breaker scenario in the bottom of the eighth. Clark walked off with the victory when Joyce moved to third on a wild pitch and senior Taylor Erikson batted her in for the 3- victory.

-Sophomore Isabella DiOrio started on the mound for Clark, pitched 4.1 inning, allowed five hits, one run scored, and struck out three batters. Erikson earned the win on the mound for the Cougars coming in to pitch 3.2 innings, allowing three hits, one run scored and striking out one batter. She improves to 1-2 on the season.

-Junior Katie Wingrove (Sunnyvale, Calif./Fremont) took the loss on the mound for Smith going all seven innings, allowing three hits, three runs (two earned) and striking out two batters.

GAME 2: SMITH 5 CLARK 7

-After a 1-2-3 top of the first inning Clark racked up seven hits and five runs in the bottom of the inning to take an early 5-0 lead.

-Kopacz led off with a double to left field and Barksdale followed up with a single to right field. Sophomore JC Urella earned an RBI with a hard hit ball to short stop to send Kopacz home. Cirone doubled to score Urella and Barksdale (3-0) and first year Jessica Martin singled to right field to score Cirone (4-0). Freshman Kylie McCabe put the final run across home when her single up the middle scored Martin for the 5-0 lead.

-The Cougars scratched one more across in the bottom of the fourth. Barksdale got the ball rolling with a single up the middle and Urella followed up with a single to third base before Cirone earned her third RBI of the day with a single up the middle to send Barksdale home (6-0).

-Smith rallied back with five hits and three runs in the top of the fifth. Senior Tyler Feeney (Merrimac, Mass./Pentucket Regional) led off with a single to left field before a walk by senior Jessica Flohr (Foster City, Calif./Crystal Springs Upland School) moved her into scoring position. Senior Lydia DeAngelo (Portsmouth, R.I./Moses Brown) sent a two-RBI doubled to right field to score Flohr and Feeney (6-2). Newhall used a single to left field to get DeAngelo home as the Pioneers cut their deficit in half after five (6-3).

-Clark pushed another run across home in the bottom of the sixth when Cirone singled and an error by the Pioneers helped Barksdale score from second (7-3).

-Smith had a bid at a comeback in the top of the seventh when a two RBI single to center field from Lee brought them within two, 7-5. Erickson was able to come in to pitch and clinch the final two outs for the 7-5 final victory.

-Junior Sarah Woods earned the win on the mound for Clark and improves to 2-4 on the season. She allowed five hits and three runs scored while striking out one batter. Erikson earned her first save of the season.

-Senior Jessica Flohr (Foster City, Calif./Crystal Springs Upland School) took the loss on the mound for Smith and falls to 3-3 on the season.

UP NEXT
The Pioneers will take a break from conference play to host Westfield State on Tuesday beginning at 3:30 p.m.

(Recap courtesy to Clark Athletics)

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is an NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.