Ephs drop pair to start season
ORANGE, CA -- The Williams College softball team opened its 2008 season Monday with a pair of three-run losses at the Sun West Tournament hosted by Chapman University.
Williams (0-2) dropped a 3-0 decision to Hamline University in its season opener, then fell 6-3 to Plattsburgh State, which finished 2007 at the third-ranked team in the nation.
Senior Margaret Ryan started the Hamline game and went the first three innings. Ryan, coming off surgery, is being held to a 45-pitch count early in the season as she works her way back. She allowed four hits and a run over her three frames, walking no one and striking out two.
"She's getting stronger," said Ephs head coach Kris Herman. "She's working her way back and trying to get all her pitches in. She pitched very well, the brightest spot on the day."
Hamline took a 1-0 lead in the second and scored twice more in the fifth to account for the final margin. Junior Emily Fowler-Cornfeld hurled the final two innings, allowing two runs, both earned, on seven hits while walking two and striking out four.
Williams was limited to two hits, one each by Joey Lye and Katie Powers.
"We had a bunch of hard-hit balls right at people," Herman said. "We just couldn't put anything together."
In the nightcap, Plattsburgh State bounded out to a 4-0 lead and held off an Ephs rally for the 6-3 win. Junior Morgan Simpson started and took the loss for Williams. Over seven innings, she allowed 14 hits and six runs, five earned, while walking no one and fanning three.
Williams had six hits in the loss. Powers went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Becky Sansone was 1 for 2 with a run scored. First-year Caitlyn Cain was 1 for 3 with a run scored and classmate Mary Beth Daub had a pinch-hit single.
