CLERMONT, Fla. --
Abby Moravek threw six innings of two-hit, shutout relief Monday as the Amherst College softball team rallied from four runs downs to edge the University of Chicago, 8-6, on Field #4 at the Legends Way Complex.
It was the second dominant pitching performance of the day for the Mammoths, who saw first-year
Abby Rebhan throw a complete-game, two-hit shutout in her first collegiate start as Amherst nipped Endicott, 1-0, in the St. Patrick Day opener.
Amherst improved to 4-0 with the second day sweep. The Mammoths are right back at it Tuesday, taking on Wellesley at 9 a.m. and then Plymouth State at 11:30 back at Legends Way.
Amherst 8, University of Chicago 6
* The Mammoths trailed 4-2 and the Maroons had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the second when Moravek replaced
Dani Torres Werra in the circle. Moravek produced a couple of RBI-groundouts that made it 6-2, but escaped without further damage.
* The Amherst comeback began in earnest in the top of the third.
Olivia Aitkin led off and drew a walk.
Lulu Leppard followed with a single. Rebhan ripped a liner into left for a single, but Aitken was thrown at on a close play at home. Moravek bounced a single through the left side to score Leppard to make it 6-3. Rebhan scored on a wild pitch to make it a two-run game.
*
Emma Nordstrom continued the uprising with a single that put runners on the corners.
Dylan Briggs drew a walk to load the bases. After a forceout at ome produced the second out,
Abby Kong drew another walk to force home a run and make it 6-5.
America Rangel stepped up and won her at bat by lining a single to right that landed near the line and scored both Nordstrom and Briggs for a 7-6 lead.
* The Mammoths added another run in the fifth to make it 8-6. Again it was Rangel playing the hero with a two-out, RBI-single to right.
* Moravek was pitching brilliantly, allowing just the two hits while walking two and striking out six over her six shutout innings. In the third inning, the Maroons had two one with two outs but Moravek fanned the final batter of the frame.
* With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the seventh, the final Maroon batter lined a shot into left-center field, but Aitkin race to her right and made a diving shoestring catch to end the game.
* Rangel was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and a run scored. Nordstrom was 2 for 4.
Amherst 1, Endicott 0
* Rebhan made her collegiate debut in the circle with a shutout inning of relief on Sunday, but was even better on Monday, blanking the Gulls on two hits over seven frames while walking one and striking out no one. Her teammates matched her execution in the field, playing errorless ball.
* The only run of the game came in the bottom of the second. Rebhan scorched a lead-off double.
Laura Daniels it a double but Rebhan could only advance to third. She scored when Moravek rolled an RBI grounder to short as Daniels was thrown out at third.
* Rebhan threw 3 1/3 innings of no-hit ball between the second and into the fifth. After allowing a one-out double in the fifth, she retired te final eight batters she faced to complete the shutout.
