Ephs split twinbill with Keene State
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Libby Copeland-Halperin drove in four runs while Caitlyn Cain pitched a complete game five-hitter Wednesday as the Williams College softball team won the opener of a doubleheader with Keene State, 9-1, in six innings, at Cole Field.
The Owls forced Williams to settle for a split however, outslugging the home team 11-7 in the nightcap. The Ephs, who moved to 8-12 on the season, are home again Friday for a 5 p.m. game against NESCAC West rival Hamilton. Keene State is now 9-10-1.
Williams took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the opener and never looked back. Cain started the rally with a sharp single to right and stole second. Copeland-Halperin brought her home with a double to left center.
The Ephs added a run in the second on Jesse Herzer's RBI-fielder's choice. First-year Allison Hart singled to left and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a groundout. Herzer hit a groundball to short and Hart dove across the plate just ahead of the throw.
Williams broke open the game with four runs in the fourth. Copeland-Halperin had the big hit, a two-run single to center field. She then stole second andf scored on Morgan Simpson's double off the right field fence. Emily Fowler-Cornfeld's line drive single to center scored Simpson and made it 8-0.
Cain held Keene off the scoreboard until the fifth when Ashley Annis' sacrifice fly scored Elizabeth McNamara. Cain allowed only five hits over six innings, while walking no one and striking out three.
The Ephs ended the game with a single run in the bottom of the sixth, courtesy of a Copeland-Halperin sacrifice fly. The Ephs left fielder finished 2 for 2 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. Simpson was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and both Lye and Cain finished with two hits each.
Allie D'Amato hit 2 for 2 for Keene. Ashley Clark took the loss.
The Owls jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the nightcap, scoring one run in the first and three in the second off Williams starter Fowler-Cornfeld. A Katie Allenson RBI-single in the first scored Jenna Patnode, who had singled and stolen second base.
D'Amato and Annis had RBI-singles in the three-run second.
Williams climbed back into the contest when Fowler-Cornfeld crushed a two-run home run to left in the second to make it 4-2. Copeland-Halperin smacked a solo shot in the fourth to make it a 4-3 game.
But Keene State answered with two runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to build an 8-4 lead. Patnode put a capper on the win with a three-run home run to center field in the top of the seventh, despite a great effort from Eph center fielder Jess Cross, who ran full on into the fence trying to track the big fly down.
Allenson led a 14-hit attack for Keene by going 3 for 3 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. D'Amato was 3 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Patnode was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.
Courtney Savoie earned the win, allowing eight hits and four runs, three earned, while walking no one and striking out two over five innings. The loss went to Fowler-Cornfeld, who allowed seven hits and five runs, all earned, over four frames. She walked two and struck out three.
Simpson was 3 for 4 for Williams in the loss. Copeland-Halperin was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Lye was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
