The Amherst softball team swept Keene State this past weekend in a non-conference series.

In the first game of the doubleheader against Owls on Saturday, Donna Leet ’15 and Briana Cook ’16 helped the Jeffs jump out to a quick 1-0 start, as Leet singled and then stole second to advance into scoring position. Cook sent a shot deep to left field to drive the junior home for the score. Amherst tacked on another Leet run in the third with a double from senior Carolyn Miller.

Keene State refused to surrender, notching two big hits and driving in three in the top of the fourth to take their first lead of the game.

“The key was that we never let our spirits get down,” Nicolette Miranda ’16 said. “We were focused on winning the whole game. It didn’t matter what was going to be thrown our way; we were going to pull through it.”

With two outs and no runners on in the bottom of the fifth, Alyssa Sherwill ’15 fueled the counter-attack with a double to left center. Miranda singled to drive in the go-ahead run for Amherst.

“We trusted our bats, and we know our lineup is deep,” first-year Annie Apffel said. “We trusted who was up to get it done, so we knew when Nicolette got up to the plate that she would get it done.”

Jackie Buechler ’17 remained poised on the mound, hurling a complete game for the 6-3 Jeff win. The first-year allowed three earned runs and seven hits, while striking out four. Leet led all batters, going 4-for-4 at the plate, while the team combined for a total of fifteen hits.

Amherst wasted no time in the second game by securing a victory in five innings. Knocking in eight runs in the first, the Jeffs pulled ahead and never looked back en route to an 11-3 win.

Silkowitz jumpstarted the attack with a leadoff single. Junior Kelsey Ayers joined Silkowitz on base momentarily before both were driven in on a Cook two-run double.
“Offensively we were in our element,” Miranda said. “At the end of the day, our coach actually said that was the team she knows we can be. She was so proud and that meant a lot to us.”

Cook was terrific on the day leading the Jeff offense, going 2-for-3 and adding three RBI. Ayers, Silkowitz and Apffel contributed two hits apiece. Lauren Tuiskula ’17 pitched three perfect innings en route to the victory.

“As far as the Keene State games go, we were ready to go and ready to win” Miranda said. “We really needed that to give us a little bit of a spark for the rest of the season.”
Senior leadership has played an important role in the season thus far and will only prove to be more vital as Amherst continues forward.

“They’ve been great leaders setting a tone for the team and reminding everyone that it’s not over until it’s over,” Apffel said. “Every game we win from now on is trying to help us extend our time with them.”

Amherst will finish out the regular season on the road, traveling to Smith on Monday — the first of seven games in the team’s final stretch.