BOX SCORE
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College softball team turned the
first triple play in school history and scored twice in the bottom
of the seventh to defeat Bates, 3-2, in a NESCAC Eastern Division
contest on Friday evening at Pickard Field. The Polar Bears improve
to a program-best 28-10 (7-3 NESCAC) and can clinch a berth in the
postseason tournament with one win tomorrow in their doubleheader
against the Bobcats (4-22, 0-10) in Lewiston.
Clare Ronan rapped a base hit up the middle to score two runs with
one out in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Polar Bears to
their 11th win in their last 12 games.
Bates took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of single runs in
the first and third frames. Leah Maciejewski collected an RBI
fielder's choice and then doubled to start the third. After
advancing to third, pinch-runner Kiely Webster came around to score
on a double-steal to give the visitors to a two-run advantage.
Bowdoin chipped away at the lead with a single run in the bottom of
the third, when Jamie Paul came home on an RBI single from Shavonne
Lord to make it 2-1.
Bates made a bid to extend their lead in the sixth with the bases
loaded and no outs. But a low liner to center by Courtney Talcott
was stabbed by Bowdoin's Hillary Smyth, who popped up and doubled
Jean McIntyre off second. Bowdoin's Amy Hackett then wheeled and
threw a bullet to Molly Nestor at third, catching Mary Lewis off
the bag for the first recorded triple play in Bowdoin softball
history.
Bowdoin capitalized on the effort in the bottom of the seventh, as
Smyth led off with a single and Kara Nilan moved her to third with
a base hit. Pinch-runner Gen Barlow stole second, giving the Polar
Bears runners at second and third with no outs. After Bates pitcher
Caroline Gattuso induced a pop-out from Caroline Dewar, Shavonne
Lord reached base on a roller to short that froze the runners and
was dropped by first-baseman Monica Berube.
With two strikes on Ronan, the senior catcher ripped a ball up the
middle that deflected off Gattuso's glove and trickled up the
middle of the diamond. Smyth and Barlow came around to score
easily, giving Bowdoin the win.
Julia Jacobs got the win for Bowdoin, the 40th of her career, by
tossing seven innings and allowing one earned run and seven hits.
Gattuso permitted three earned runs and nine hits in 6.1 innings
for the Bobcats. Nilan, Dewar and Smyth had two hits apiece for
Bowdoin while McIntyre and Mary Lewis had two hits each for the
Bobcats.
