Smith College Outlasts Softball, 2-1

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Elms College senior right fielder Jennifer Killion (Cambridge, Mass.) recorded two hits and sophomore first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) drilled her first collegiate home run, but Smith College plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to claim a 2-1 victory over the Blazers in Monday afternoon's non-conference softball game in Northampton, Mass.

With the loss, Elms falls to 3-9 overall, while Smith improves to 2-7 on the season.

The first five frames saw a pitcher's duel between Elms' senior Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) and Smith's Kayla Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) as the Blazers managed just three hits to the Pioneers' two during that stretch resulting in a 0-0 deadlock after five and a half frames.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Smith's Tessa Clark (Calais, Maine) ripped a two-bagger to center field and was pinch-run for by Kat Katides (Quincy, Mass.) who eventually came around to score the game's first run on an infield error.

Elms answered with two outs in the top of the seventh when Witaszek launched a homer to even the game at 1-1. Junior center fielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) singled up the middle and Killion punched a double into left center field to give Elms a pair of runners in scoring position but the Blazers could not push across the go-ahead run as Kiers induced an inning-ending groundout to preserve the 1-1 tie.

Brittany Purington (Weare, N.H.) led off the Pioneers' seventh with a double to right field and a one-out infield single by Sarah Goodman (Pittsford, N.Y.) gave Smith runners on the corners. Hampton then forced a fly out before Kate O'Brien (Santa Cruz, Calif.) reached on an infield error allowing Purington to plate the winning run.

Hampton pitched 6.2 innings and suffered the loss (2-4) allowing just two unearned runs on five hits while striking out six. Kiers earned the win to improve to 2-5 in the circle. She allowed just one run on five hits and fanned two batters.

Elms returns to conference action on Saturday, March 31 when it travels to Southern Vermont College for a twinbill starting at 12:00 p.m. in Bennington, Vt.