For Immediate Release
March 30, 2008
Wellesley Sports Information
Wellesley Softball Splits with Clark
Game One Box
Game Two Box
WELLESLEY, Mass. -- After a spring break trip to California that included wins over NESCAC power Williams College and defending D-III national champions Linfield, the Wellesley softball team split with Clark University in an early season NEWMAC double-header. The Blue dropped the first game 5-3 before taking the second, 8-0. Wellesley stands at 10-3-1 on the season, 3-1 in NEWMAC competition. Clark is now 9-5, 1-1 in conference play.
The Cougars jumped to an early lead in the top half of the first inning, when Julie Parnell (Webster, Mass.) homered over the leftfield fence with one out to give Clark a 1-0 lead. Melissa Traft (Milton, Mass.) and Katherine Tutela (Dalton, Mass.) singled, putting runners at first and second. Darcy Kurashige-Elliott (Berkeley, Calif.) followed with another single, scoring Traft and moving Tutela to third. Tutela then scored on a failed pickoff attempt, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead.
Wellesley bounced back in the bottom of the second, when Meghan Sullivan (Markham, Ont.) tripled into the right field corner. Alex Warren (Delta, B.C.) then homered, cutting the lead to 3-2.
Clark struck again in the top of the third, as Traft, Tutela and Kurashige-Elliott again combined for three consecutive hits, with Traft scoring from third on Kurashige-Elliott's single, to make the score 4-2.
The Blue responded in the bottom of the inning, when Ilana Orloff (Weston, Mass.) singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice from Amanda Tai (Melrose, Mass.). Alexandria Coari (Geneva, Ill.) drove Orloff home with a single to right, but that was all the offense the Blue could muster in game one.
Clark added an insurance run in the fourth, taking a 5-3 lead when Parnell walked and came around to score on Traft's single to center.
In addition to her 3-for-4 showing at the plate, Traft was solid on the mound as well, scattering six hits in the 5-3 win. Tutela and Kurashige-Elliott added two hits each, while Parnell, Heather Warren (Upland, Calif.) and Lauren Blake (Oakland, Maine) chipped in one hit each.
For the Blue, Coari, Wong, Sullivan, Warren, Orloff and Alison Davis (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) tallied one hit each, including Sullivan's triple and Warren's homer. Kristie Gola (Bordentown, N.J.) gave up seven hits and four runs in the start while taking the loss. Beej Grundlock (Blackwood, N.J.) scattered three hits over five innings and allowed one run in relief.
The Blue opened the second game by erupting for five runs in the opening frame. Tai led off the inning with a triple to right and scored on Coari's single to left. Wong and Davis followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Warren flied to right, scoring Coari and moving Wong to third. The Blue then used agressive base-running and took advantage of two Cougar mis-cues to add two more runs on Sullivan's bouncer to short, as both Wong and Coari crossed the plate and Sullivan advanced to third. Jenna Harvey (London, Ont.) flied deep to center, driving in Sullivan and giving the Blue a 5-0 lead.
Clark threatened in the top of the second when two walks and a passed ball put runners on second and third, but Harvey fanned Murray to end the inning. The Cougars threatened again in the third, as Blake led off with a double to left and advanced to third on a fielder's choice. But Wellesley again halted the potential rally as shortstop Alex Coari made a diving stab at a bouncer up the middle and threw out Traft to end the inning.
As Harvey settled into a rhythm, fanning 11 in a three-hit performance, the Blue added three more runs: Warren's solo homer in the third, Wong's lead-off homer in the fifth, and Wood's solo-shot in the bottom of the sixth to end the game at 8-0.
For the Cougars, Blake, Parnell, and Traft had one hit each in game two. Sarah Carter (Worcester, Mass.) took the loss, allowing eight runs on eight hits. For the Blue, Wong tallied two runs and two hits, including a solo homerun. Tai, Coari, Davis, Warren, Sullivan, and Wood all tallied one hit each, including a triple for Sullivan and homers for Warren and Wood.
Wellesley returns to action on Wednesday, April 2, at 3:30, when the travel across town to Babson College for a NEWMAC double-header. Clark will take the field on Tuesday, April 1, at 4:00 when they host Amherst College.