The Jeffs attempted to defend their home field once again on Friday, going into battle with the Owls of Westfield State. First-year Jackie Tyler had two hits, representing the only Jeff with multi-hits in the game. It was not enough; the Jeffs fell 5-2, putting at least a temporary stop to their quest for a winning record. Games four and five of the grueling week pitted the Jeffs against the Brandeis University Judges for another Saturday doubleheader. Amherst continued its winning ways from earlier in the week, picking up two much- needed victories, which brought the team back to 10-11 overall and 5-3 in the league.
The Jeffs started their week's quest for .500 on Monday, April 9, with an away game at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Amherst started the game off well in the third, picking up two unearned runs. After giving the Engineers a run back in the bottom of the frame on a Jeff error, the next score of the game did not come until the bottom of the sixth, when WPI scored on another unearned run.
First-year Anne Kelly started off the seventh with a pinch hit. Coaching then came into play, as sophomore Alexa Princi subbed in to run for Kelly. A combination of singles from senior co-captain shortstop Annalise Rodli and Neckes scored Princi from first for the game-winning run. This much-needed win pushed the Jeffs' record to 7-11 on the year.
For their first home game of the week, the Jeffs saw the Western New England College Golden Bears visit the Amherst, diamond. Amherst found its back against the wall after the first inning, down 2-0.
Everything changed in the sixth inning. The Jeffs came out strong, knocking in four runs and taking a 4-2 lead on some key walks and RBIs from first-year Emily Neill and Rodli. Sophomore Julia Cummings was the only Amherst hitter with more than one hit; she also scored a run and knocked in another. First-year Alex Chang-Graham pitched a complete game, allowing only two runs on five hits, in addition to an impressive 10 strikeouts.
The Jeffs' second home game of the week represented their only slip-up. The Westfield State Owls proved to be a more-than-worthy opponent. The bottom of the third was the scene for Amherst's two runs of the game. Tyler put herself on base with an infield single, which she followed with a stolen base and a key passed ball. Rodli then came up big once again, with an RBI single. Junior second-baseman Ralina Shaw finished off the scoring, knocking in Rodli with a double. From there, though, the Owls battled back and finally took the control. They tallied one run in the fifth, two in the sixth and an insurance run in the top of the seventh. The loss dropped the Jeffs to 8-12, interrupting the momentum they had been building.
The Jeffs must have received a good pep talk after Friday's loss, because they assumed the Owls' killer instinct on Saturday. In a key NESCAC doubleheader, the Jeffs took two games from Brandeis. The Jeffs benefited from home field advantage, winning the first game in stunning fashion, 9-0, in a shortened five innings. Chang-Graham put in a solid four innings, allowing only one hit; sophomore hurler Maddie Tamagni finished things up in the fifth.
The Jeffs dominated with superior defense and a solid offensive output. In the second game, junior Samantha Miller started things off on the mound, turning away the first nine batters the Judges sent to the plate. She then gave up one hit, but followed that with three strikeouts. Tamagni then came in for the second consecutive game to seal the deal, hurling for two innings and giving up no hits, as the Jeffs won 6-1.
Saturday included some great hitting performances from the Jeffs. Rodli stepped up, going for 5-for-7 on the day, scoring two runs and knocking in two more. Neill also went 3-for-6 and scored two runs, while knocking in three others. Sophomore rightfielder Holly Trace had a field day, scoring twice and knocking in three runs on an efficient 2-for-3 at the plate. The Jeffs' strong 4-1 week brought their record up to 10-12 on the year. After a few days off, Amherst faces Pioneer Valley rival Smith College today in another doubleheader; the first game begins at 4:00.
NESCAC Notes
With four victories last week, the Trinity College Bantams extended their lead in the NESCAC. Outscoring their opponents by 38 runs last week, Trinity now stands at 17-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference.