AMHERST, Massachusetts -- Amherst College (28-6) swept archrival Williams College (23-10) in a pair of softball games at Hill Field. These were the first two victories for Amherst in the four-year history of the varsity program, and they claim the Jeffs' first Little III title in softball. Ranked No. 5 in New England, Amherst assured itself of a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Game One: Amherst 7, Williams 6
Amherst scored four runs with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning toward a 7-6 victory over Williams in game one. Pitcher Allison Schwarting (Los Angeles, CA) had gone around the bases twice on a pair of Melissa Roja (Los Altos Hills, CA) RBIs for a 2-0 lead, and a Roja single sparked the Jeffs' fifth-inning spurt. An error put senior co-captain Sarah Rinaldi (Washington, DC) on base, and a singles by Liza Feldman (Sudbury, MA), Meghan Nelson (Middletown, CT) and Darcy Sweeney (Keene, NH) drove home a trio of runs.
Williams got on the board in the sixth with a pair of runs off two Amherst errors. Laura Brenneman (Chevy Chase, MD) and Caitlin Carr (Toledo, OH) cut the Lord Jeff lead to 6-2 after a single by Kathleen Mason (Southampton, MA). Vicki Gonzalez (Miami, FL) closed out Amherst scoring in the bottom of the sixth after notching a double and coming home on a Rinaldi double.
Becky Logue (Waterford, NJ), Jennifer Garabedian (Rutherford, NJ) and Laura Jacobs (Wilmette, IL) registered singles in the seventh as Williams mounted a comeback. All three scored, as did pinch hitter Rachael Moeller (Lakeville, MA) to bring the Ephs within one run. Schwarting struck out her fifth batter to close out the game.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -- R H E
Williams (23-9) 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 -- 6 9 3
Amherst (27-6) 1 0 1 0 4 1 x -- 7 15 4
W - Catherine Bagley and Becky Logue. A - Allison Schwarting and Meghan Nelson.
WP - Schwarting (16-4). LP - Bagley.
LOB - A 6, W 7.
2B - A Gonzalez, Rinaldi. W Logue.
Game Two: Amherst 2, Williams 0
Senior co-captain Jen Shea (Hatfield, MA) registered Amherst's eigth shutout of the season as the Jeffs blanked Williams 2-0 to sweep the series. Sophomore shortstop Liza Feldman (Sudbury, MA) doubled to lead off the second, and a single by Darcy Sweeney (Keene, NH) gave Amherst a 1-0 lead. Sarah Rinaldi (Washington, DC) scored on a pass ball in the fifth after notching a single to lead off the inning.
Shea held Williams to four hits and five stranded baserunners. Amherst left eight on base.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -- R H E
Williams (23-10) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 4 5
Amherst (28-6) 0 1 0 0 1 0 x -- 2 6 2
W - Ramona Nicholson and Becky Logue. A - Jen Shea and Meghan Nelson.
WP - Shea (12-2). LP - Nicholson.
LOB - A 8, W 5.
2B - A Feldman.
# # # 5/3/98
