NORTON, Mass. — Smith College dropped a pair of NEWMAC contests to Wheaton College (Mass.) on Saturday afternoon at Clark Softball Field, falling 5-1 in the opener before dropping the nightcap 3-2 in a tight finish. The Bears managed just 10 combined hits across the two games and were unable to generate consistent offensive support, falling to 9-10 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
Game 1: Wheaton 5, Smith 1
Smith struck first in the opening game, as Gabbie Chinnis (Charleston, SC/Charleston County School of Arts) worked a walk, stole a base, and came around to score in the top of the first inning to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. It was as much offense as Smith could muster, however, as Wheaton's starter Sofia DeLaRosa held the Bears in check over seven innings. Smith finished with 7 hits and left 8 runners on base, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Ally Knutson (Green Bay, WI/Bay Port) led the offensive effort with a 2-for-4 performance that included a double, while Chinnis went 2-for-2 in her plate appearances.
In the circle, Violet Peverly (Granby, CT/Loomis Chaffee) absorbed the loss, finishing 4.2 innings and allowing 5 runs — 3 earned — on 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts on 93 pitches. Lindsay Bennett (Sanford, ME/Berwick Academy) came on in relief to close out the final frame. Smith's pitching staff allowed 5 total runs on 7 hits in Game 1.
Game 2: Wheaton 3, Smith 2
The nightcap was more competitive, but Smith's offense continued to struggle, managing just 3 hits in seven innings against Wheaton starter Peyton Blankenheim-Brown. Both of Smith's runs came via Wheaton errors, as the Bears went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and finished with no RBIs as a team. Riley Veenstra (Oakland, CA/Bishop O'Dowd) and Peverly each contributed hits, with Peverly ripping a triple in her third-inning at-bat and eventually scoring an unearned run. Smith added another unearned run in the fifth inning to briefly pull within one, 3-2, but could not complete the comeback.
Bailey Gray (Missouri City, TX/Ridge Point) turned in a gutty complete-game effort on the mound, tossing all 6 innings and striking out 7 batters while walking just one on 101 pitches. Gray allowed 3 earned runs on 7 hits, keeping the Bears in a game their offense could not ultimately win.
Smith returns to action Wednesday, April 8, with a doubleheader at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., beginning at 3:00 p.m.
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.
