Allie Rooney ’16
Sports Editor
On Sunday, May 11, the third-seeded Smith College softball team garnered their second Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Softball Championship. The Pioneers topped fellow New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opponent and top-seeded team, WPI, 6-2 to take home the title. The Pioneers won the title back in 2004. Tori Brown ’16 was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Brown went 6-for-13 (.462) in the tournament, including an imperative 2-RBI double and an additional run in Sunday’s final.
Smith endeavored to get put on the scoreboard as early as the first inning when Ruth Zimmerman ’17 was hit by a pitch and then classmate Brittney Blokker ’17 singled to left field. Brown and Edie Richardson ’15 both had well hit balls to the outfield. Pitcher Gina Martucci ’16 stuck out the first WPI batter, but WPI’s Katie Bumila gave the Engineers an early 1-0 lead. WPI scored another run an inning later to give them a 2-0 lead.
Smith finally gained some offense in the fourth inning when Allison Snyder ’17 doubled in pinch-runner Kristina Gaffny ’16. Zimmerman then drove in Snyder with a single to left field. Then Brown hit a 2-RBI double to drive in Zimmerman and Blokker to give Smith a 4-2 lead. The Pioneers added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning as Brown scored on a wild pitch and Martucci had an RBI. Martucci only allowed two runs on six hits, while striking out seven batters in her 23rd complete game of the season.
As the team’s main lineup will not be changing, they are hoping for an equally exciting season next year. Congratulations on the ECAC title!
