NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — The Smith College softball team dropped both ends of a NEWMAC doubleheader to No. 18 WPI on Friday at the Smith Softball Field, falling 6-3 in the opener and 8-2 in the nightcap. The Bears finish the day at 15-16 overall and 7-7 in conference play.
Game 1: WPI 6, Smith 3
Smith jumped on the Engineers in the bottom of the first, plating two unearned runs after Gabbie Chinnis (Charleston, SC/Charleston County School of Arts) and Ally Knutson (Green Bay, WI/Bay Port) both reached on errors and advanced into scoring position. Violet Peverly (Granby, CT/Loomis Chaffee) capped the rally with a two-run, two-RBI fielder's choice that brought home both runners.
WPI tied the game with single tallies in the top of the first and second, then took the lead for good with a two-run fifth on a Lucy Latour RBI single and an unearned run scored on a fielding error. Riley Veenstra (Oakland, CA/Bishop O'Dowd) went 2-for-3 to lead Smith at the plate, while Bailey Gray (Missouri City, TX/Ridge Point) drove in the Bears' third run on a sacrifice fly in the third inning. The Engineers tacked on two more in the seventh to seal the result.
In the Circle:
Peverly took the loss after going 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs (three earned) with two walks and five strikeouts on 92 pitches. Lindsay Bennett (Sanford, ME/Berwick Academy) worked the final two outs in relief.
Game 2: WPI 8, Smith 2
WPI struck for two runs in the top of the first on RBIs from Virginia McKinney and Riley O'Brien, then added a third in the third inning on a Sandy Fairbairn-driven sacrifice fly. Smith answered in the bottom of the fourth, as Knutson singled, Peverly reached on an error, Veenstra delivered an RBI single and Gray followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Engineers pulled away with two-run innings in the fifth and sixth before adding a final run in the seventh. Smith finished with eight hits and were paced by Gray, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
In the Circle:
Gray took the loss in the start, allowing five hits and three runs (one earned) over three innings. Alana Robinson (Benicia, CA/Benicia) worked the final four frames, scattering eight hits and five runs (four earned) with three strikeouts.
Up Next:
Smith returns to NEWMAC action on Saturday with a doubleheader at U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., with first pitch slated for noon.
About Smith Athletics Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.
