03/28/2009
Softball Splits With Babson

WORCESTER, MASS. 03/28/09 - Sophomore Sarah Carter (Worcester, Mass.) fired a three-hitter over seven innings and junior Lauren Blake (Oakland, Maine) notched a pair of doubles, and had a run scored and an RBI to lead the Clark University softball team to 5-3 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Babson College in the second game of a doubleheader at OBrien Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Beavers captured the first game, 7-0, behind the pitching of junior Danielle Liska (Seymour, Conn.), who allowed just two hits and fanned nine batters, to pick up her eight win of the year. With the split, Clark moves to 7-13 and 3-3 in the conference. Babson stands at 10-10 (2-2 NEWMAC).

In the nightcap, Clark used a three-run first to take its first lead (3-1) of the day. Blake started the inning with a double down the left field line and moved to third on Maureen Coakley's (Worcester, Mass.) infield hit. After Babson pitcher Caroline Barr (Wilmington, Mass.) retired the next two batters on fly outs, freshman Stefanie Kettenacker (Hastings-On-Hudson, N.Y.) drilled a run-producing double to make it 1-1 and Chelsea Proulx (Franklin, N.H.) followed with an RBI single to centerfield for a 3-1 lead.

The Beavers placed runners on first and second with consecutive walks to lead off the third. After Jillian Smith (Winslow, Maine) moved them over on a sacrifice bunt, Carter struck out the next batter and walked Jess Winer (Longmeadow, Mass.) to load the bases. However, Carter caught the next batter looking to get out of the jam.

The Cougars gave Carter a two-run cushion in the fourth with RBI hits from Meg Lennon (Charlton, Mass.) and Blake to lead 5-1.

In the fifth, Kayla Davis (Gardner, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs with a double to centerfield to cut the deficit to 5-3, but thats as close as Babson would get.

Barr took the loss on the mound for the Beavers. She gave up five runs on 10 hits.

Clark, Nicole Latini (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Rebecca Fellows (Leominster, Mass.) each tallied single hits for Babson.

Coakley and Lennon were Clark's other multiple hitters.

In the opener, Babson scored single runs in the second and fourth inning and exploded for a five-run fifth for the shutout win.

Davis, Latini and Morgan Sprague (Clifton Park, N.Y.) loaded the bases after each reached on singles to start the fifth. After Winer was hit by a pitch to score Davis, Nicole Giuliano (North Reading, Mass.) hit into a fielder's choice as the Cougars tried to get the runner at the plate. But a costly throwing error allowed Latini and Sprague to score for a 5-0 Babson advantage.

Blake and Traft (2-8), who suffered the loss on the mound, had the only hits for Clark.

Fellows went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead Babson's 10-hit attack.

Clark will host MIT in a conference doubleheader on Tuesday (3 p.m.). Babson is at Endicott College on Sunday (10 a.m.).