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Clark University

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Softball

Cougars Sweep Smith Behind Pitching & Proulx

Worcester, Mass. - Host Clark extended its winning streak to five games with an impressive set of wins over visiting Smith College on Sunday afternoon, taking game one 13-1 and then the night cap 13-0, pushing their record to 15-3 and 5-1 in NEWMAC play.

Senior Chelsea Proulx (Franklin, N.H.) was the catalyst for the explosive Cougar offense, going 4-for-7 on the day with a homerun, eight RBI and three runs scored.

On the mound, junior Sarah Carter (Worcester, Mass.) improved to 8-0 with a four-inning, three-hit, two-strikeout effort in the game one victory, while Meghan Lennon (Charlton, Mass.) picked up her first win of the season in game two, giving up just two hits in three innings of work.

After Carter retired to Pioneers in order in the top of the first, senior Lauren Blake (Oakland, Maine) smacked a leadoff double to left center and eventually came around to score on a Darcey Kurashige-Elliott (Berkeley, Calif.) sacrifice fly. The big blow of the inning came later when Proulx crushed a three-run shot to left center, giving Clark an early 4-0 lead.

The Cougars were right back at it in the bottom of the second, plating six runs on five hits, highlighted by a Stefanie Kettenacker (Hastings-on-the-Hudson, N.Y.) two-run double and a run-scoring two-bagger by Blake.

Three straight singles to begin the third had the bases loaded for Clark and Kettenacker delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Mel Melkonian (Worcester, Mass.), making the score 11-0.

Smith finally scratched across a run in the top of the fourth when Laura Robitzek doubled and scored an RBI groundout by Kirstie Beaton.

The hosts got two more in the fourth before reliever Kelly Schroder (Auburn, Mass.) got the final three outs, including the last two via the strikeout.

Game two started off in similar fashion to game one, with the Cougars attacking early and pushing across four runs in the top of the first. Proulx had an RBI single in the frame and Erin Murphy (Boxboro, Mass.) notched a two-run double.

Three more Clark runs came across in the second as Kurashige-Elliott drew a bases loaded walk and Proulx had a two run single down the left field line.

The Cougars tacked on four more in the third as Melkonian crushed a run-scoring double to left center, Proulx drove in yet another with a single, Melissa Traft (Milton, Mass.) recorded a sacrifice fly and Kurashige-Elliott posted an RBI single.

Clark actually scored two runs in the fourth without recording a hit. Back-to-back one-out walks to Lennon and Blake was followed by a pair of wild pitches that scored Lennon and Blake came around to score on a Melkonian sacrifice fly.

Table setters Blake and Melkonian went a combined 7-for-12 with 11 runs scored in the two games for Clark, who outscored their opponents 45-3 in the four games over the weekend.

The Cougars return to the diamond on Friday when they host Springfield, while the Pioneers host Elms College in a doubleheader on Monday.

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Players Mentioned

Lauren Blake

#7 Lauren Blake

2B
5' 3"
Senior
Sarah Carter

#6 Sarah Carter

P
5' 5"
Junior
Stefanie Kettenacker

#5 Stefanie Kettenacker

IF/OF
5' 2"
Sophomore
Darcey Kurashige-Elliott

#9 Darcey Kurashige-Elliott

OF
5' 5"
Senior
Meghan Lennon

#10 Meghan Lennon

P/UT
5' 8"
Sophomore
Mel Melkonian

#11 Mel Melkonian

3B
5' 8"
Freshman
Erin Murphy

#8 Erin Murphy

C
5' 8"
Sophomore
Chelsea Proulx

#3 Chelsea Proulx

SS
5' 6"
Senior
Kelly Schroder

#20 Kelly Schroder

P
5' 8"
Freshman
Melissa Traft

#18 Melissa Traft

P/IF
5' 4"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Lauren Blake

#7 Lauren Blake

5' 3"
Senior
2B
Sarah Carter

#6 Sarah Carter

5' 5"
Junior
P
Stefanie Kettenacker

#5 Stefanie Kettenacker

5' 2"
Sophomore
IF/OF
Darcey Kurashige-Elliott

#9 Darcey Kurashige-Elliott

5' 5"
Senior
OF
Meghan Lennon

#10 Meghan Lennon

5' 8"
Sophomore
P/UT
Mel Melkonian

#11 Mel Melkonian

5' 8"
Freshman
3B
Erin Murphy

#8 Erin Murphy

5' 8"
Sophomore
C
Chelsea Proulx

#3 Chelsea Proulx

5' 6"
Senior
SS
Kelly Schroder

#20 Kelly Schroder

5' 8"
Freshman
P
Melissa Traft

#18 Melissa Traft

5' 4"
Senior
P/IF