For the first time in nearly a month, the Amherst softball team suffered defeat, going 1-2 in their series against archrival Williams this past weekend, April 22-23, after defeating Keene State earlier in the week. With these results, the Mammoths secured a spot in the NESCAC playoffs and their record now stands at 24-8 overall and 10-2 in conference play.
On Wednesday, April 19, the Mammoths defeated Keene State 9-8. The Owls took an early lead, scoring five runs in the first inning. Amherst responded in the bottom of the frame by scoring a run, cutting the lead to 5-1.
The Mammoths scored two more runs in the second inning off back-to-back walks from first-years Andrea Sanders and Kate Kopatic and a sacrifice bunt from Scout Boynton ’20.
Although Keene State scored another run in the third inning, Kopatic tied up the score at 6-6 with a key home run. With the score tied, the game went to extra innings.
Both teams scored in the eighth inning, but Keene State took the lead during the top of the ninth, leaving Amherst down one run. However, Kopatic continued her dominant offensive effort, blasting a two-run walk-off homer to clinch the victory.
Amherst returned to the field over the weekend to play rival Williams in a three-game series. On Saturday, Amherst traveled to Williamstown, where it lost both contests, falling in the first game, 2-1, and in the second game, 5-2.
In game one, Williams took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning with a solo home run. Amherst responded during the top of the fifth when Sammy Salustri ’19 hit a double to right field, scoring Sanders. Unfortunately, the Ephs scored on a walk-off single, securing the 2-1 victory.
In game two, Williams again took an early 1-0 lead off a solo home run. In the second inning, Williams extended its lead to 5-0 and never relinquished it in their three-run win.
Julia Turner ’19 shouldered the load for the Amherst offense, belting a double and a triple to score the Mammoths’ only two runs of the game.
On Sunday, in the final game of the series, the Ephs traveled to Amherst for the Mammoths’ senior day. Playing on home turf, Amherst defeated Williams, 4-3.
In the game, Amherst was first on the scoreboard after a solo home run from Kopatic in the third inning. Amherst scored again in the fourth inning on a double from Lauren Tuiskula ’17 and a single from Salustri. Williams made a comeback, however, scoring two runs to tie the game in the sixth inning. The Ephs took the lead in the seventh inning, but doubles from Kopatic and Turner tied the score and sent the game into extra innings.
A walk-off double from Sanders, which plated Turner, clinched the victory for Amherst in the bottom of the ninth.
The Mammoths return to action on Wednesday, April 26 for their final non-conference doubleheader against Western New England University.
