MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – After dropping their first battle against Middlebury College 6-5, the Amherst women's softball team fought back to secure a dominant second game after three early runs launched the Mammoths past the Panthers and closed the contest 6-3.
Following the split, Amherst's record progressed to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in the NESCAC. The Mammoths will head to Medford on Sunday, where they'll face Tufts University in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Game 2: Amherst College 6, Middlebury College 3
*The Mammoths brought home three runs in the top of the second inning as sophomore
Emma Nordstrom and junior
Dylan Briggs both hit RBI doubles to left field. After singling up the middle and advancing to third, sophomore
Anna Primozic crossed the plate as first-year
Lauren Ro notched an RBI single up the middle, giving Amherst an early 3-0 lead.
*A homer from Middlebury junior McKenna Lont and an unearned run from Middlebury first-year Uma Corcoran weakened Amherst's advantage to 3-2 at the bottom of the second.
*After first-year
Lulu Leppard reached on a single to left field, she made her way around the diamond and scored following an RBI double from first-year
Abby Rebhan. Despite having bases loaded later in the third inning, the Mammoths couldn't capitalize.
*Strong fielding kept Middlebury scoreless in the bottom of the fourth inning as three groundouts stunted the Panthers' momentum.
*Middlebury junior Jennifer Westphal nailed a homer to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning, tightening the game to 4-3.
*Amherst reclaimed their momentum in the top of the sixth inning as Ro reached on a hit to shortstop, then crossed the plate as Rebhan smashed an RBI single up the middle. Junior
Abby Moravek followed up in the bottom of the frame, notching two strikeouts and allowing zero hits.
*The Mammoths stayed hot for the rest of the game as sophomore
Emma Nordstrom opened the final inning with a homer to left-center field, and Moravek struck out two batters to help close the matchup 6-3.
Game 1:Middlebury College 6, Amherst College 5
*Middlebury did most of their damage in the top of the first inning, striking three runs to take an early lead. Junior Kristyn Carroll opened the scoring as she crossed the plate on a passed ball, while Lont added a second with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field. First-year Olivia Schultz capped off the inning with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.
*The Panthers extended their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the second inning as Carroll scored on a double from junior Cate Viola and sophomore Olivia Scholes hit an RBI single.
*Amherst got on the board in the top of the third as sophomore May Mishima stole second, then scored when junior Olivia Aitkin nailed an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.
*While Briggs relegated the Panthers to zero runs in the bottom of the third, the Mammoths hit the ground running offensively with a two-run fourth inning. First-year Laura Daniels led off with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field, and Briggs followed up with an RBI single to right center, weakening Middlebury's lead to 5-3.
*Middlebury responded in the bottom of the frame, scoring one run off of an RBI double that expanded the score to 6-3.
*Amherst posed a threat in the sixth inning, scoring two as Torres notched a run on an RBI double from Nordstrom, who then made her way around the diamond to cross the plate as Ro singled to left field.
