Softball drama unfolds

Author: Kellan Florio

Tangling for the first time since last year's NESCAC title game, the Panthers and Ephs would need extra innings to settle both legs of their doubleheader at Middlebury on Saturday with each team coming away with a win. The Middlebury women rallied in the bottom of the ninth for a dramatic 4-3 victory in game one, only to fall 2-0 in eight innings in the nightcap moving their record to 6-6 (1-1 in NESCAC) on the season.

Senior co-captain Megan McCarthy (5-1) out-dueled a trio of Williams pitchers in game one, lasting nine innings for her sixth complete game of the season, while walking only one and striking out seven.

Middlebury opened the scoring in the bottom of the second on a Kathryn Hurd '06 RBI triple, who was then singled in by Katelyn Cannella '08 to make it 2-0. Williams knotted the score at two apiece on Laura Noel's 2-RBI double to left in the top of the fifth and would go on to take the lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Mary Baccash.

Lauren Guza '05 helped the Panthers claw their way back into the game with a lead-off single in the bottom of the eighth, but after consecutive groundouts, the Panthers found themselves one out away from defeat. The pressure was no match for Lauren Battaglia '06, however, as she delivered with a base hit up the middle scoring Guza from third to send the game into the ninth.

After McCarthy worked a perfect ninth, it was Guza's turn to come through in the clutch. With two out and two on, Guza mustered a base hit off relief pitcher Clara Hard, scoring Hurd from third and igniting a bench-clearing celebration at home plate. This marked the second win for the Panthers this season after trailing in extra innings.

"Going into extra innings was definitely exciting and nerve-racking at the same time, but I knew that all I had to do was remain focused and just pitch my game," recounted McCarthy. "That last inning was really intense but we proved that we wanted it more and we all contributed to that win."

"I was especially proud of how we came back when we were behind," commented Guza. "In the past we've tended to get down on ourselves when we lose a lead, so the fact that we fought back in extra innings shows how much this team has matured."

There would be no reason to celebrate after game two, however, as Clara Hard, a three-time NESCAC player of the week and NESCAC pitcher of the year in 2004, exacted revenge on the Panthers by firing a no-hitter over eight innings. Hard's run at a perfect game was spoiled by an error in the seventh. Jennifer Williams '07 (0-4) matched Hard through seven innings, only to surrender a 2-run home run to Alana Frost with one out in the top of the eighth. Williams finished the day giving up seven hits, two runs, one walk and seven strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings of work.

"Our pitchers did an incredible job," acknowledged Guza. "Both Megan and Jen pitched with a lot of heart and got us through innings when there were small lapses on defense or offense."

"I was so proud of the team this weekend," continued Guza. "We view Williams as our biggest conference rivals, so beating them in the first game and playing them close in the second was extremely important for our confidence."

Middlebury will return to action on Thursday with a doubleheader at Castleton State College followed by NESCAC action at Hamilton and Wesleyan over the weekend.