Courtesy Tufts Sports Information

Box Score

MEDFORD, Mass. - The Williams College Ephs battled back from a four-run deficit to defeat the Bates College Bobcats, 14-6, in a six-inning affair during game three of the 2009 NESCAC Softball Championship on Saturday morning at Spicer Field on the campus of Tufts University. With the loss, Bates (12-16) was eliminated from tournament play.

Bates jumped out to the early lead in the first as their first three batters of the game came around to score. First-year LF Karen Ullmann (Ramsey, N.J.) reached on an error, first-year 3B Kelly McManus (Plymouth, N.H.) followed with a bunt single and then senior DH Stacia Saniuk (Sharon, Mass.) walked. With the bases loaded, senior RF Leah Citrin (Rye Brook, N.Y.) singled home two runs and first-year C Leah Maciejewski (Tewksbury, Mass.) singled home the third run. The Bobcats could have scored more, but Williams ended the inning on a double play started by senior SS Joey Lye (Scarborough, Ontario).

The Ephs added single runs in the second and third innings as sophomore 3B Carly Ameen (North Adams, Mass.) doubled home senior Emily Fowler-Cornfeld (St. Louis, Mo.) in the second, and senior CF Becky Sansone (Glen Gardner, N.J.) singled in sophomore C Caitlyn Cain (Houston, Texas) in the third. Sandwiched in between, in the top of the third, Bates scored two unearned runs on two Williams errors. The Bobcats continued to answer the Ephs, scoring their sixth run in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Citrin, her third RBI of the day. After four complete innings, Bates held a 6-2 advantage.

The tide changed in the bottom of the fifth when Williams scored eight unearned runs on six hits and five Bates errors. Freshman 1B Allison Hart (Roswell, Ga.), freshman RF Orianna McGee (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Cain all had RBI singles in the frame. The Bobcat offense stalled in the sixth with runners on, and the game stayed at 10-6 after five-and-a-half. In the bottom of the sixth, Williams added on four more runs for the mercy-rule win. Senior LF Libby Copeland-Halperin (New York, N.Y.) led off with a home run. Hart followed with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch, then Ameen hit an RBI groundout, her third run batted in of the contest. Sansone singled in her third RBI to end the game and give the Ephs the 14-6 victory.

Senior Morgan Simpson (McLean, Va.), who entered the game in the third inning in relief of starter Fowler-Cornfeld, improved to 5-2 going three innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Sophomore Mary Beth Daub (Claremont, Calif.) recorded the final two outs of the sixth to pick up the save, her third of the season. Everyone who played for Williams had a hit, and Sansone was 4 for 5. The Ephs finished with 18 overall.

Bates freshman starter Kristen Finn (Winthrop, Mass.) fell to 7-9, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing six runs, just two of them earned on nine hits. Saniuk and Maciejewski had two hits each for the Bobcats.