Amherst Softball Sweeps Middlebury in Final Games of NESCAC Play

This weekend, the Amherst softball team powered 35 total hits, including five home runs, defeating Middlebury College in all three games to wrap up NESCAC play.

GAME ONE: Middlebury 2, Amherst 7 

The sides totaled a combined fifteen hits in game one. Amherst opened the scoring in the top of the first, with Rachel Lovejoy ’23 scoring off of an Autumn Lee ’23 single. The Mammoths added two runs to their lead in the second and third innings off of a homer from Randi Finkelstein ’24 and a run from fellow first-year Sadie Pool ’24 respectively. Amherst added another two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, with Jess Butler ’23 scoring off of a groundout by Pool in the fourth, and an RBI single from Lovejoy in the fifth that allowed pitcher Talia Bloxham ’22 to score. A comeback attempt by Middlebury wasn’t enough, and the Mammoths added two more insurance runs in the sixth and seventh for a final score of 7-2. Bloxham got the win, pitching all seven innings with four strikeouts, six hits allowed and one earned run.  

GAME TWO: Middlebury 4, Amherst 5 

The teams returned to the field later that day, with Amherst winning again, 5-4. The sides combined for a total of 20 hits in game two. Amherst again opened the scoring early, with a two-run homer from pitcher Maddie Procyk ’24 in the first and right fielder Bloxham scoring in the second off of a fielding error. Middlebury responded in the bottom of the third, and added two more in the fourth to tie it up. The Mammoths responded with two runs in the fifth, with Lovejoy scoring off of a fielding error, and Butler scoring off an RBI double from Procyk. Middlebury added a run in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough, as the Mammoths held on for the win. Procyk got the win, pitching seven innings, with two strikeouts and allowing nine hits and four earned runs.     

GAME THREE: Amherst 11, Middlebury 10  

Both teams brought their best for game three, which took place  at Amherst. They combined for 31 hits and 21 runs, with the Mammoths winning the one-run contest.Butler  opened the scoring in the first with a sacrifice fly that allowed Lovejoy to score. Lovejoy scored again in the third to make it 2-0 in favor of Amherst. But Middlebury responded with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth to tie the game. 

Amherst took the lead again in the bottom of that same inning off an RBI single from Lee, scoring Megan Taketa ‘23. Procyk then hit a three run homer later that inning, with  Finkelstein and Lee scoring as well, to make it 7-2 Amherst. Not willing to be put down easily, Middlebury added three more runs to their total in the fifth, and Amherst responded later that inning with an RBI single from Lee. 

Procyk again homered in the sixth, with Bloxham scoring as well. With the score 10-5 heading into the final inning, Middlebury again came back, scoring five runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning, Lee got to first base off an error, and Butler singled to put runners on first and second. Both runners then advanced off a wild pitch. Finklestein and Procyk then grounded out, and so, with two outs, Alyson Plaman ’21 hit a walk-off single to give the Mammoths the victory. Bloxham got the win for the Mammoths, pitching six innings with five strikeouts, allowing 12 hits and eight earned runs.        

Amherst returns to the field on Saturday, May 8, when they travel to Wesleyan for another doubleheader to finish their season. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. EST.