Elizabeth Morris pitched a two-hit shutout in Game 1 and Kelsey Martel matched that performance in Game 2 as Middlebury College swept Hamilton College in a NESCAC West Division doubleheader played in Middlebury, Vt., on April 7.
Middlebury (13-7 overall, 3-0 NESCAC West) won both games 8-0 in five innings. The Panthers have won five straight and eight of their last nine games.
In Game 1, Morris did not issue a walk and struck out 11 batters. Alex Scibetta led Middlebury's offense with three doubles and three runs batted in. Emma Katz collected three doubles and Jessica Poracky had two hits and drove in two runs. Jessa Hoffman also doubled and finished with two hits and two runs scored.
Jenn Rougeux '14 and Talia Mercado '15 had the two hits for the Continentals. Starting pitcher Amy Appel '13 surrendered seven earned runs in 4.1 innings and took the loss.
Middlebury scored in every inning and finished with eight extra-base hits. Leading 1-0 in the second inning, Kimber Sable scored from third when Alyson Downing was thrown out trying to steal second base. Back-to-back doubles by Katz and Scibetta made it 3-0. Poracky’s single through the left side in the third inning plated Hoffman, who led off with a double to left.
The Panthers added two more runs in the fourth. An RBI groundout by Christina Bicks plated Katz, Hoffman followed with a triple to left center and scored on a single to left by Poracky.
A single through the left side by Sable started the fifth for the Panthers, and she moved to third on a double to right by Katz with one out. Scibetta ended the game with a double to left that plated both Katz and Sable.
In Game 2, Bicks finished with three hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs for Middlebury. Scibetta singled, doubled and drove in a pair of runs, and Emily Kraytenberg added a triple. Martel walked three batters and struck out four.
Ashley Perritt '14 and Monique St. Jarre '15 had the two Hamilton hits. Kelly Leonard '15 took the loss as she surrendered nine hits and five earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.
Leading 1-0 in the third inning, Bicks tripled to left to drive in Scibetta for the 2-0 lead. Hoffman followed with an RBI groundout to plate Bicks.
Hamilton (6-14, 0-6) posted its biggest threat to score in the third inning when Melissa Kaknis '13 and Rougeux walked, and Perritt followed with a single to load the bases with one out. But Martel was able to get a strikeout and a groundout to keep the score at 3-0.
A double by Scibetta in the fourth inning scored Downing and Sarah Boylan, and Bicks followed with a single to plate Scibetta. Poracky led off the fifth with a single to center and scored on a triple to right by Kraytenberg. One batter later, Kraytenberg scored the game-ending run on a ground ball to second base by Sable.
Hamilton hosts Utica College for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m.
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