The Hamilton College softball team edged host Amherst College 3-2 on Sunday afternoon to earn its first NESCAC West Division series sweep since the conference went to a three-game series in 2005. The game had originally been scheduled for March 27.
Box Score
Hamilton improved to 12-14 overall and 5-4 in NESCAC West competition. The five NESCAC West wins is already their highest total ever with one series left to play.
Zoe Singer ’18 and Kelly Leonard ’15 combined to allow just seven hits to the Lord Jeffs. Singer held Amherst (13-11, 3-6 NESCAC West) to two hits and an unearned run in three innings, and Leonard earned the win in relief by giving up only five hits in four innings. She recorded the last three outs after the Lord Jeffs had put the tying run on base to start the bottom of the seventh.
Alyssa Sherwill ’15 singled to lead off the Amherst seventh and advanced to second on a ground out. Leonard retired the last two hitters without the ball leaving the infield to improve to 9-7 this spring.
Phoebe Collins ’18, who scored the game’s first run on a third-inning wild pitch, put Hamilton ahead for good in the top of the fourth, bringing Ellie Kiernan ’15 home with a sacrifice fly. The Continentals added an insurance run an inning later when Julia Carpenter ’18 was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Lord Jeffs tied the score in the third on a run-scoring ground ball by Donna Leet ‘15. They pulled to within a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Nicolette Miranda ’16.
Sherwill had three of Amherst’s seven hits and Ally Kido added two.
The Continentals, who’ve played seven one-run games this year, were held to four hits by three Amherst pitchers. Talia Mercado '15 collected two of those hits.
Hamilton returns to action on Tuesday, April 21, hosting St. Lawrence University in a 3:30 p.m. non-league doubleheader. Amherst plays Elms on Wednesday.
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