MEDFORD - Middlebury College sophomore 1B Jess Poracky (Ramsey,
NJ) drove a two-run double to deep right field in the first inning
and Panther pitchers Geena Constantin (Pelham, NH) and Elizabeth
Morris (Kenilworth, IL) made it stand for 2-1 victory over Trinity
College in game two of the NESCAC Softball Championship at Tufts
University's Spicer Field on Friday afternoon. Trinity
(21-13) will face Williams in an elimination game on Saturday at 10
a.m. Play continues through Sunday to determine the 2011 NESCAC
champion.
Middlebury jumped on Trinity starter Kristen Anderson (West Haven,
CT) quickly. Sophomore SS Jessa Hoffman (Golden, CO) and senior LF
Leslie Crawford (Mount Vernon, WA) hit back-to-back singles to lead
off the first inning. After a sacrifice bunt by senior DP Megan
Margel (Ridgewood, NJ), both scored on Poracky's double. Anderson
was able to work out of further damage with a pair of ground
outs.
The game settled into a pitcher's duel over the next three innings.
Constantin allowed just two Trinity hits over the first four
innings. Anderson would let only one more Panther batter touch
second base when Margel hit a one-out double in the third and
advanced on a wild pitch. However, she was stranded at third to
keep the score 2-0 Middlebury.
Trinity came close to tying the score in the top of the fifth.
Sophomore Amelia Mostovoy (San Francisco, CA) hit a one-out single
and senior Melanie Orphanos (Norton, MA) followed with a base hit.
Mostovoy moved to third and Orphanos took second on the throw.
Sophomore SS Caroline Blanchard (Norwich, CT) singled to left to
score Motovoy, but the ball was hit so sharply that Orphanos was
held at third. After a walk loaded the bases, Constantin got a
ground out to end the inning with Middlebury up 2-1.
With Morris on in relief for Middlebury in the seventh, Trinity
rallied with two outs. First year pinch hitter Claire Prosperi
(Northbrook, IL) singled and Blanchard followed with her third hit
of the game to put the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on
first. However, Morris got a pop-up to close out the victory with
her fourth save.
Constantin went six innings allowing five hits and the one run with
three strikeouts and one walk while improving to 7-2.
Trinity out-hit Middlebury 7-5, with Blanchard finishing 3 for 4
and Mostovoy at 2 for 3. Anderson pitched all six innings for the
Bantams, allowing five hits and two runs while walking one and
striking out one.
