For Immediate Release
April 11, 2008
Wellesley Sports Information
Wellesley Softball Blanks MIT
Game One Box
Game Two Box
WELLESLEY, Mass. -- With back-to-back no-hitters from Jenna Harvey (London, Ont.) and Kristie Gola (Bordentown, N.J.), Wellesley softball swept MIT this afternoon, 8-0, 8-0, at Wellesley College. Each hurler held the Engineers hitless and scoreless through five innings of work, with Harvey striking out 12 in her effort and Gola fanning nine. The Blue now stand at 17-5-1 overall, 8-2 in the NEWMAC. MIT falls to 5-17, 1-11 in conference play.
After a brief threat in the bottom of the first in game one, Wellesley got on the board in the second inning when Harvey reached on an MIT miscue and came around to score on a passed ball. The Blue added three runs in the third, when Ilana Orloff (Weston, Mass.) led off with a triple to deep right and scored on an infield grounder off the bat of Kara Wong (Milford, Mass.). Megan Wood (Jacksonville, Fla.) followed with a two-run shot over the scoreboard, extending the Wellesley lead 4-0.
The Blue added a run in the fourth, when Wood singled to left, driving in Orloff. Wellesley then erupted for three more in the fifth. After back-to-back walks, Samantha Littlejohn (Dayton, N.J.) doubled to left, driving in two. Littlejohn advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on an MIT miscue. With the score at 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the eight-run rule was invoked, ending the game.
Harvey was perfect on the mound, facing the minimum number of batters in the shortened five-inning game. Wood and Littlejohn each had two hits in game one, with Woods tallying three RBIs and Littlejohn adding two. Jessica Oleinik (Ellicott City, Md.) took the loss for MIT, giving up six hits and four earned runs in game one.
Game two followed a similar script. Gola proved unhittable on the mound, allowing only two runners to reach base while notching the first no-hitter of her career. Meanwhile, the Blue offense caught fire early, scoring three runs in bottom of the first. Amanda Tai (Melrose, Mass.) led off the inning with a double to centerfield, and Orloff reached on an error. Both eventually came around to score on an MIT miscue. Wong and Wood followed with consecutive singles, and Wong scored on a grounder from Sarah Parmelee (Shelburne, Vt.).
Wellesley added one run in the third and another in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Megan Townsend (Saline, Mich.) reached on an error and came around to score on a double from Harvey. Britni Bakacs (Millstone Township, N.J.), running for Harvey, scored on Alison Davis's (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) double to center. Tai then drove in Davis with a single up the middle, securing the 8-0, five-inning win.
Tai was perfect at the plate in game two, going 4-for-4 and driving in the game-ending run. Harvey and Wong added two hits each, with Harvey driving in two runs. Leah Bogsted (Levittown, N.Y.) took the loss for the Engineers, giving up 10 hits and 5 earned runs.
Wellesley takes the field tomorrow, April 12, at noon, when they host Smith College. MIT returns to action tomorrow as well, hosting Regis College at noon.