New London, Conn. - Third-seeded Wellesley
jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings, but had to hold off
fifth-seeded Clark, 5-4 as junior centerfielder Brittany Bakacs
threw out senior Melissa
Traft (Milton, Mass.), the tying run, at the plate to
end the game, propelling the Blue into the winners bracket in the
2010 NEWMAC Softball Tournament.
Wellesley led 5-1 going to the top of the seventh, before Traft
laced a three-run double to pull the Cougars to within 5-4.
Sophomore Meghan
Lennon (Charlton, Mass.) had a single to center, but
Bakacs threw a strike to freshman catcher Taylor Yamauchi, who put
the tag on Traft to end the game.
The Blue struck for single runs in the first two innings. In the
first, senior Megan Woods RBI single scored classmate Ilana Orloff
while in the second starting pitcher, freshman Lauren Goldfarbs
two-out single scored freshman Samantha Spiga for a 2-0 lead.
In the third, Wellesley struck for three runs all with two outs.
Spigas two-out single plated freshman Mara Blesoff. Junior Sinta
Cebrian followed with an RBI single before Goldfarb ripped an RBI
double to left to give Wellesley at 5-0 lead and chase Clark
starting pitcher junior Sarah
Carter (Worcester, Mass.) (11-6), who took the
loss.
Clark got in the board in the fifth as sophomore Erin
Murphy (Boxboro, Mass.) led off with a single and came
around to score on an RBI single by senior Lauren
Blake (Oakland, Maine).
Freshman Nicole
Meuse (Hudson, Mass.) was outstanding in relief for
Clark as she retired all ten batters she faced, six by
strikeout.
Goldfarb (11-4) went the distance and allowed six hits, and four
runs, three earned while walking seven and striking out six to get
the win.
Blake had two hits to lead Clark while Goldfarb and Spiga each had
two hits for the Blue.
The tournament continues on Saturday with four games at the Coast
Guard Academy beginning at 10 a.m.
Clark will play Babson in an elimination game at 10 a.m. before
sixth-seeded Wheaton plays Wellesley in an elimination game at
noon.
Coast Guard will take on second-seeded Springfield, a 12-11 winner
over third-seeded Babson on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Coast Guard
Academy.
