Ephs salvage season-opening split with 6-0 win over Carleton

ANAHEIM, CA. -- Senior Emily Fowler-Cornfeld and sophomore Mary Beth Daub combined for a one-hit shutout Tuesday, leading Williams past Carleton, 6-0, in the second game of a season-opening doubleheader at the Sunwest Tournament.

The Ephs dropped their season opener by a 3-0 count to Hamline in the first game of the day. Williams is scheduled to play powerhouses St. Thomas and Linfield Tuesday.

In the day's second outing, Fowler-Cornfeld blanked Carleton over the first five frames, allowing just one hit while walking five and striking out five. Daub replaced her with the Ephs leading 6-0 and tossed two scoreless frames to close out the victory.

Daub also pitched a shutout frame in the loss to Hamline, so her line for the day was three innings pitched, no hits allowed, one walk and five strikeouts.

"I was impressed with our pitching today, and obviously that's a huge piece of the puzzle for us, so that's good news," Ephs head coach Kris Herman said."Mary Beth pitched very well in both games, and I thought Emily and Morgan threw well also."

The Ephs scored three times in the bottom of the first inning against Carleton and never looked back. Joey Lye, 3 for 3 in the nightcap with a walk and a stolen base -- and two RBI -- opened the frame with a walk. She took third when Caitlyn Cain reached on an error and scored on a single from Becky Sansone.

A passed ball and an error allowed Cain and Sansone to extend the lead to 3-0. Williams tacked one on in the second when Carly Ameen reached via an error, was sacrificed to second and scored on a Lye double.

Lye ended the day 5 for 6 with a walk and two stolen bases. First-year Oriana Mcgee also went 3 for 3 in the nightcap victory and stole two bases.

In the opener against Hamline, Simpson was locked in a scoreless duel with her fellow hurler until the bottom of the fifth, when Hamline scored all three of its runs. Williams outhit Hamline, 6-5, but could not push across a run.

Fowler-Cornfeld, who played first base, went 2 for 3, while Simpson was 1 for 3 with a double and Cain hit  1 for 2 with a walk.