Watch the 2010 NESCAC Softball Tournament
LiveStats for the 2010 NESCAC Softball Tournament
Sunday's Scores:
Wesleyan 10, Bowdoin 1, 5 inn.
Wesleyan wins 2010 NESCAC Championship
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Taylor Zavadsky smacked a grand slam home run Sunday in an eight-run third inning for the Cardsinals, leading Wesleyan to a 10-1 win over Bowdoin in the championship game of the 2010 NESCAC Softball Tournament.
It's the first NESCAC title for the Cardinals, who improved to 23-16-1 with the win. They receive an automatic berth into the Div. III NCAA Tournament. Bowdoin finished its season with a 33-12 record.
Sunday's championship game, forced by Bowdoin's Game 6 win (5-2) earlier in the day, ended after 5 innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. The game was scoreless after 2 1/2 innings, but the Cardinals broke through in a big way in the bottom of the third, plating eight runs. Bowdoin starter Kara Nilan — who had already won two games Sunday, beating Williams 6-0 and Wesleyan 5-2 — opened the inning with a strikeout, but Cardinal senior Meaghan Dendy got the ball rolling for Wesleyan with a double to center field. She came around to score on an error when Tori Redding's grounder was misplayed.
With two outs, Redding took second on a wild pitch and scored on a bang-bang play at home when Taila Bernstein ripped a grounder back up the middle and into center field. Bowdoin center fielder Hillary Smyth came up with a perfect throw home, but Redding snuck her toe in for the run. Dan Levy then singled and Sam Epstein walked, loading the bases for Zavadsky, who launched a deep drive to left that sailed over the fence for a 6-0 lead.
Alexis Krall kept things going with a single up the middle. Allee Beatty walked, and Dendy's second hit of the inning, a single back through the circle, re-loaded the bases. Redding then added her second hit of the frame — a line drive single to center, that scored Kral and Beatty for an 8-0 lead.
That was it for Nilan, who won three games for Bowdoin in the tournament. The right-hander fell to 12-3, allowing 10 hits and eight runs, none of which were earned, while walking two and striking out one over three innings.
Wesleyan added two runs in the bottom of the fourth when Epstein ripped a two-run homer to left with two outs for a 10-0 lead. Bowdoin scored a run in the top of the fifth when Smyth's two-out single scored Jamie Paul, who led off the inning with a pinch-hit single, but it wasn't enough. Dendy earned the win, improving to 9-8 by tossing three innings and allowing two hits while walking no one and fanning one. She and Dana Levy split the pitching duties, alternating each frame. Levy allowed one hit over her two innings, walking one and striking out one.
At the
plate, Dendy was 3 for 3 with a run scored. Levy was 2 for 3 with a
run scored and Zavadsky finished 1 for 3 with four RBI. Shavonne
Lord had Bowdoin's other hit in the game.
Bowdoin 5, Wesleyan 2
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA -- Clare Ronan hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning Sunday to put Bowdoin in the championship game of the 2010 NESCAC Softball Tournament with a 5-2 win over Wesleyan.
Game 7 will be the third meeting between Bowdoin and Wesleyan in less than 24 hours. Wesleyan won Game 4 Saturday, 12-6, before the Polar Bears rallied to win Game 6, 5-2, scoring four times in the top of the sixth.
Bowdoin 6, Williams 0
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA -- Kara Nilan threw a 5-hit shutout Sunday
morning as Bowdoin College defeated host Williams College, 6-0, at
Cole Field, advancing to Game 6 of the tourney and eliminated the
Ephs.
Bowdoin improved to 32-11 and will face Wesleyan at 11:30 a.m. in
Game 6. The Polar Bears need to defeat Wesleyan twice in order to
win the 2010 NESCAC title, while the Cardinals need just one
victory.
Bowdoin scored all the runs it needed against Williams in the
second inning. Gen Barlow led off with a single, stole second and
scored when Molly Nestor's grounder resulted in a throwing error.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Shavonne Lord's line drive to
left was dropped, allowing two runs to score and put Bowdoin up
3-0.
Williams put runners of first and third with two outs in the third
on singles by Carly Ameen and Allison Hart, but Nilan induced a pop
up from Caitlyn Cain to end the frame.
Bowdoin added two runs to its lead in the fourth when Clare Ronan
drew a two-out walk and Amy Hackett went down and drilled an ankle
high pitch over the fence in left for a two-run homer and a 5-0
Polar Bear lead.
Nilan took care of the rest, walking just one and striking out
five over seven innings of work to improve to 11-2.
Saturday's Scores:
Wesleyan 12, Bowdoin 6
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Sam Epstein drove in four runs and
Allee Beatty went 4 for 4 Saturday as Wesleyan University rallied
from an early deficit to defeat Bowdoin, 12-6, in game four of the
2010 NESCAC Tournament.
Wesleyan improves to 22-15-1 with the win and advances to Game 6
of the tournament against the winner of Bowdoin-Williams Sunday at
11:30 a.m. Bowdoin fell to 31-11 overall. The Polar Bears face
Williams at 9 a.m. Sunday for a spot in Game 6. There will be a
Game 7 only if the Bowdoin-Williams winner defeats Wesleyan in Game
6.
The Cardinals trailed 3-0 after a half inning Saturday, but scored
four times in their half of the first off Bowdoin starter Julia
Jacobs. Tori Redding started the uprising with a one-out single,
taking second on an error. Chrissy Bello followed with a single.
Another error allowed Redding to scor. With two outs, Epstein
crushed a three-run home run over the fence in center field for a
4-3 Wesleyan lead.
The Cardinals added six runs in the second on six hits and two
Bowdoin errors. Bello, Taila Bernstein and Epstein all had RBI
singles in the big inning and Taylor Zavadsky had a sacrifice
fly.
Bowdoin attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the third,
scoring three times and driving Wesleyan starter Caitlyn Grudzinski
fro the game. Singles by Caroline Dewar and Shavonne Lord put
runners on first and second with no outs. Clare Ronan followed with
a double to center that scored Dewar. Wesleyan brought in
Dana Levy to replace Grudzinski in the circle and, after hitting a
batter to load the bases, Levy struck out Gen Barlow and
induced Molly Nestor to hit into a fielder’s choice with the
out coming at the plate. After an error allowed two runs to score,
Levy got redding to pop out to end the threat with Wesleyan still
leading 10-6.
Levy earned the win, going the final five innings and allowing
just two hits and one walk while striking out three. She did not
allow a run. Jacobs took the loss for Bowdoin. Allowing 11 runs,
only five earned, over three frames.
Wesleyan had 16 hits in the win, with five players having two and
Beatty going 4 for 4 with a run scored. Epstein was 2 for 4 with
four RBI. Zavadsky was 2 for 3 with two RBI. Alexis Kral was 2 for
4, Meaghan Dendy 2 for 4 and Bello 2 for 5 with an RBI.
Ronan went 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored to lead the
Polar Bears’ eight-hit attack.
Williams 8, Tufts 4
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Williams College rallied for eight runs in the top of the sixth inning Saturday en route to an 8-4 elimination game victory over Tufts University in the 2010 NESCAC Tournament.
The Ephs (17-20-1) will face the loser of Wesleyan-Bowdoin match-up scheduled for later Saturday tomorrow morning at 9 in another elimination contest. Tufts finished its season at 22-13.
Tufts scored one run in the first and three in the third to build a 4-0 lead. Jumbos’ starter Izzy Santone had a three-hit shutout going into the top of the sixth when Allison Hart led off the frame by beating out an infield hit to second.
After a 25-minute lightning delay, the Ephs came out hitting. Merrilee Weston singled up the middle and Cedar Blazek singled to right to load the bases. Mary Beth Daub’s groundout scored Hart with the Ephs first run. Caitlyn Cain drew a walk from Santone to re-load the bases. Amanda Correnti then grounded a slow roller to the edge of the infield grass that scored a run to make it 4-2. Carly Ameen then lined a single to right for an RBI-single that made it 4-3.
Santone got Oriana Mcgee to hit into a forceout on Cain at the plate for the second out. But Emily Levy then lined a one-hop shot toward right field. Tufts second baseman Emily Beinecke made a great diving attempt on the ball, but it glanced off her glove and into right for a two-run single and a 5-4 Williams lead.
Hart came up again and slapped a hit to the left side that went for a single, scoring Ameen. Weston then capped the uprising with a shot into the right-center field gap that made it 8-4 and drove Santone from the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Jumbos put together a rally against Eph starter Megan Casey. Stefanie Tong led off and reached on an error. Julia Silberman was hit by a pitch and Bri Cilley singled up the middle to load the bases with no outs.
Casey settled down, striking out a pinch-hitter, getting Lizzy Luppa on a pop out to third and then retiring Mira Lieman-Sifry on a grounder to third that resulted in an inning-ending forceout at third.
Beinecke went 2 for 4 with two RBI for Tufts and Tong had two RBI. Santone took the loss, allowing 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out two.
For the Ephs, Casey picked up the win, going seven full frames and giving up six hits while walking three and striking out three. Ameen was 2 for 3 with an RBI, and both Hart and Weston finished 2 for 4.
Friday's Games
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Senior Meaghan Dendy went 4 for 4
Friday while throwing a six-hiiter as Wesleyan University
mercy-ruled Tufts University, 13-3 in five innings in the second
game of the 2010 NESCAC Tournament.
The Cardinals improved to 21-15-1 on the season and will face
Bowdoin in a winner’s bracket contest Saturday at noon. The
Jumbos fell to 22-12 and will face tournament host Williams in an
elimination game Saturday morning at 10.
Friday, the Cardinals plated six runs in the top of the first and
six more in the third to build a 12-3 advantage. Dendy led off the
game with a single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on
an RBI-single from Tori Redding, who was 2 for 4 with three RBI in
the win. Taylor Zavadsky added an RBI-single later in the inning,
and Alexis Kral put the capper on the big first frame with a
three-run blast to left-center field. Kral would finish 3 for 4
with four RBI for the Cardinals.
Tufts would answer back in its half of the first, scoring three
times to make it a game again at 6-3. Emily Beinecke lined a
two-run double into the right-center field gap, and scored on
Stefanie Tong’s single to right center moments later.
But Dendy would steady herself in the circle and allow just
two hits and no runs over the final four innings to improve to 8-7
on the season.
Her teammates gave her much breathing room by putting together a
six-run third inning that made it 12-3. Tufts committed four errors
in the frame while the Cards had three hits. Kral had an RBI-single
to left, Dendy looped an RBI-single to center, and Redding
had a two-run single to center in the uprising.
Wesleyan had 15 hits in the victory. Zavadsky was 3 for 4 with two
RBI for the winners. Dendy’s final line had her giving up six
hits while walking no one and striking out nine over five
innings.
Casey Sullivan went 2 for 3 for Tufts. Rebecca DiBiase took the
loss, allowing nine hits and 12 runs, nine earned, over two-plus
innings. She walked two and did not strike out a batter.
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Kara Nilan threw a complete-game six-hitter Friday while Clare Ronan and Gen Barlow homered to lead Bowdoin past host Williams, 8-1, in the first game of the 2010 NESCAC Tournament.
Bowdoin (31-10) will face the winner of Friday’s second contest between Tufts and Wesleyan Saturday at noon. Williams (16-20-1) awaits the loser of Tufts-Wesleyan Saturday at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.
Bowdoin wasted no time getting on the board against Eph starter Mary Beth Daub, scoring three times in the top of the first. Caroline Dewar beat out a slap hit to the mound for a single and Shavonne Lord followed with a bloop single into left. Ronan then got all of a pitch from Daub, driving it over the fence in straightaway center for a three-run home run.
Williams got one back in its half of the first when Jess Cross beat out a slap hit to third, was safe at second and then stole third, scoring when an errant throw went into left field. But Nilan struck out the next two batters and induced a pop up out of Daub to end the inning.
Leading 4-1, the Polar Bears added two runs in the fifth when Amy Hackett roped a two-out, two-run double off the top of the fence in left. In the seventh, after an error with two outs extended the inning, Barlow crushed a two-run jack to left.
Nilan (10-2) scattered six hits and did not walk a batter over seven innings, striking out six. The one run she allowed was unearned. Daub (6-9) took the loss for the Ephs, allowing 10 hits over five innings, walking one and striking out three.
At the plate, Nilan was 3 for 4 with a run scored for the Polar Bears while Ronan was 2 for 3 with three RBI. Dewar and Lord were both 2 for 4 and Hackett was 1 for 4 with three RBI.
For Williams, Cross was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Ephs set for 2010 NESCAC Tournament
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — For the first time since 2006, Williams will be the host for the NESCAC Tournament. The Ephs are hoping this tourney ends like the 2006 one, when Williams won its third consecutive conference tournament title. The field is stacked, with Tufts, the three-time defending champs, coming to town along with Bowdoin College and Wesleyan University.
Williams will face Bowdoin, which is making its first championship appearance since 2004, on Friday, May 7, at 2:30 p.m., followed by three-time defending NESCAC champion Tufts taking on Wesleyan at 5:00 p.m. The 2010 NESCAC Softball Championship is a three-day, double-elimination tournament which will conclude on Sunday, May 9
"It's a great field," Ephs' head coach Kris Herman said. "Both sides had exciting regular season races with three teams in the East and four in the West still in it until the very last weekend, even the last day for the West. I also think this is the most parity we've had in the NESCAC in a long time — I truly think any team can win it."
The Ephs (16-19-1, 9-3 NESCAC) had a rocky start to the year during its annual spring break trip to California, winning only three times over 14 games, but recovered nicely and finished the regular season with wins in 13 of its last 22 outings. Against this year’s tournament field, the Ephs are 3-2, having split with Tufts on April 22, but have not faced Bowdoin since a 12-inning, 2-1 win in game four of the 2004 NESCAC championship. Williams went on to win its first of three consecutive league titles that year.
Hoping to lead the Ephs back to Sunday’s championship game for the first time since 2006 will be rookie sensation Cedar Blazek (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). The first year outfielder has been impressive at the plate, batting .464 with a .500 on-base percentage and an .855 slugging mark. Blazek is currently tied for the conference lead in hits (51) and home runs (10) and leads the league in RBI (40), as her 10 homers are a new single-season program record.
Other standouts for the Ephs include sophomore second baseman Allison Hart, who is batting .392 this season with a .416 on-base percentage and a .526 slugging percentage. She has a team-leading eight doubles and seven steals in eight attempts. Junior pitcher/designated player Mary Beth Daub is hitting .333 and is 6-8 with a 4.06 ERA. Daub has 64 strikeouts in 124 innings pitched.Junior third sacker Carly Ameen is second in the conference with eight home runs and has 30 RBI this season.
"We really have done nothing special other than stick together, stick to our core principles of playing good defense, having good at bats and playing with enthusiasm," Herman said. "This has been especially true in conference play this season. We had some ugly losses but also some really exciting wins including two in walk-off fashion."
Tufts (22-11, 10-2 NESCAC East) returns to the NESCAC championship for the 10th year in a row, as the Jumbos join the Ephs as the only two programs to make the playoffs every year that the tournament has been held. A year ago Tufts added to its legacy by outscoring its opponents 23-6 over three games en route to its sixth conference crown. In addition to the split with Williams, Tufts took 2-of-3 from East foe Bowdoin just over a month ago but has yet to face Wesleyan this year. The Jumbos own a 4-1 record all-time against the Cardinals in NESCAC tournament play, the lone loss forcing a game seven in the 2008 championship.
Leading Tufts at the plate this season has been the tandem of freshman Emily Beinecke (Concord, Mass.) and senior Casey Sullivan (Berlin, Conn.). Beinecke is making her case for Rookie of the Year honors as she paces the NESCAC with a .469 batting average and owns a .491 on-base mark. Sullivan ranks among the top 10 players in the conference in hitting with a .417 average and a .843 slugging percentage, tying for the conference lead with 10 home runs while also hitting 10 doubles and going 15-for-16 on stolen base attempts.
Wesleyan (20-15-1, 8-4 NESCAC West) came through when it counted during its final series of the regular season against Middlebury and will participate in the NESCAC championship for the fourth year in a row. Tied with the Panthers prior to their weekend series, the Cardinals dropped the first game 5-0 on Friday but rallied during Saturday’s doubleheader, winning the first game 10-7 in eight innings and then clinching the final playoff spot in the second game with a 6-4 victory.
The Cardinals’ talented offense has been productive this season, scoring a league-high 226 runs with a team batting average of .315 and a slugging percentage of .433. Pulling double-duty in the batter’s box and inside the circle for the Cardinals has been sophomore Dana Levy (Westport, Conn.) and senior Meaghan Dendy (Swansea, Mass.). Levy has averaged .330 so far this season and has posted a 1.76 ERA over 14 appearances, going 5-4 with two saves. Dendy has driven in a single-season program record 33 runs and averages .315 at the plate while recording 74 strikeouts over 106.2 IP for a 7-7 record and a 3.35 ERA.
Back in the NESCAC championship for the first time in six years is Bowdoin (30-10, 9-3 NESCAC East). The Polar Bears set a record for victories in a season with their 27th in a 4-0 win over Trinity on April 24 and have now won 13 of their last 15 outings, most recently sweeping aside rival Bates this past weekend.
Strong pitching has been the cornerstone of Bowdoin’s success this season. The Polar Bears’ pitching staff has combined for a league-low 2.28 ERA and has held opposing batters to an average of .240 while recording 205 strikeouts. In the circle, junior Kara Nilan (Pittsfield, Mass.) has been tough to beat, going 8-2 over 14 appearances with a 1.59 ERA (1st NESCAC), an opposing average of .215, and 76 strikeouts. Senior teammate Julia Jacobs (Ridgewood, N.J.) also ranks among the conference’s top pitchers with a 2.23 ERA over 100.1 innings pitched.
2010 NESCAC SOFTBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP
Day 1 - Friday, May 7 at Williams
Game 1 - E2 Bowdoin at W1 Williams - (Box
Score)
Game 2 - Wesleyan 13, Tufts 3, 5 inn. (Box Score)
Day 2 - Saturday, May 8 at
Williams
Game 3 - Williams 8, Tufts 4 (Box Score)
Game 4 - Wesleyan 12, Bowdoin 6 (Box Score)
Day 3 - Sunday, May 9 at Williams
Game 5 - Bowdoin 6, Williams 0 (Box Score)
Game 6 - Bowdoin 5, Wesleyan 2 (Box Score)
Game 7 - Wesleyan 10, Bowdoin 1, 5 inn. (Box
Score)
Wesleyan wins 2010 NESCAC Championship
