NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Wellesley College softball team downed Smith College in both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon on the road. The Blue won game one, 9-5, in eight innings and then cruised to a 6-1 win in the second game.

The wins helped Wellesley wrap up a second-place finish in the final NEWMAC regular season standings. Heading into next week's conference tournament, the Blue sport a 12-3-1 NEWMAC record (19-12-1 overall) will enter as the #2 seed.

Wellesley opened game one with runs in the top of the second and third innings before Smith tied things at 2-all in the bottom of the inning. The Blue added three runs in the top of the fourth inning, but Smith responded with a three-run inning of their own, to knot the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth.

After two scoreless innings, Wellesley broke things open in the top of the eighth. With Alex Warren (Delta, BC) placed on second base to start the frame, a sacrifice bunt from Shawna McCreadie (Des Plaines, IL) advanced her to second where she scored on a single from Brittany Bakacs (Millstone Township, NJ). Wellesley then used singles from Elora Daniele (Belle Mead, NJ), Megan Townsend (Saline, MI), Ilana Orloff (Weston, MA), and Ali Davis (Glen Ellyn, IL), to plate three more runs and take a 9-5 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, Wellesley first-year pitcher Sarah Sherburne (Mill Valley, CA) sat down three straight Smith batters to seal the victory.

Townsend led the Blue at the plate, going 3-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Amanda Tai (Melrose, MA), Orloff, Davis, Bakacs and Davis all added two hits each, with Orloff also recording three RBI.

Earning the win in the circle was Sherburne (3-1) who came on in relief. In four innings of work, she allowed just three hits while walking two and striking out one.

The Blue cruised to a 6-1 win in game two, backed by a three-hit pitching performance from junior Megan Wood (Jacksonville, FL). Wood also helped her cause at the plate, with a single, a triple, a homerun and two RBI.

Also for Wellesley in game two, Davis picked up two hits and two RBI while Townsend and Sinta Cebrian (Seattle, WA) each added two hits.

Wood (4-3) went the distance, throwing all seven for Wellesley. She allowed just one run on three hits with six strikeouts.

Up next for the Blue, Wellesley will be the second site for the opening round of the 2009 NEWMAC softball playoffs. On Wednesday, Wellesley will host a 2:30pm game featuring #3 Clark and #6 WPI and will play the winner at 4:30pm.