Allie Rooney ’16
Sports Editor
What a difference one season can make. Last spring, Smith’s softball team won a total of eight games. This year, they will be competing for the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Softball Championship on May 3. The Pioneers headed into the NEWMAC tournament as the sixth-seed and will be vying for the championship title in a few days.
The tournament is a double-elimination tournament. During their first match up, Smith faced third-seeded Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Friday, April 25. This match up proved to be a thrilling one, though the Pioneers ended up falling to WPI 2-1 in eight innings. Sarah Tully ’17 hit her first home run of her collegiate career during the loss, producing Smith’s only run. Pitcher Gina Martucci ’16 only allowed two runs on five hits for the Pioneers.
On Saturday April 26 the Pioneers faced elimination against defending NEWMAC tournament champions Springfield College. However, Smith was not quite ready to surrender. One run was all that they needed, and they came in the top of the eighth inning from Edie Richardson’s sacrifice fly to bring in Brittney Blokker ’17. Joanna Giordano ’16 led the Pioneers with two hits, while Edie Richardson ’15 brought in the game-winning run. Tully also had a hit for the Pioneers.
On the third and final play day of the weekend, the Pioneers faced familiar opponent, WPI, once again on Sunday April 27. The team who two days prior were defeated by the Engineers, came out fired up and ready to play. Smith defeated WPI 7-4 and eliminated the third-seeded team from the NEWMAC Softball Championship. Allison Snyder ’17 hit a single in the second inning and then Joanna Giordano ’16 hit a 2-RBI triple and also scored on a miscue by WPI, which gave Smith a 3-0 lead.
Ruth Zimmerman ’17 also earned a single that inning after Smith had scored three times, but WPI was able to get out of the inning without Zimmerman scoring. In the fourth inning, Smith’s offense really got going. Snyder reached second base on a single to left field. Then, Giordano hit a single which allowed Snyder to advance to third base. Next up was Zimmerman who loaded the bases, which set the stage for Blokker to hit a 2-RBI double to left field, bringing home Snyder and Giordano. Tori Brown ’16 then singled up the middle of the field, followed by Caroline Kushner ’17 making it 6-2 for the Pioneers. Smith finished with a total of 14 hits throughout the game, led by Snyder with a 3-for-4 performance. Zimmerman, Blokker, Brown, Kushner and Giordano all had two hits contributing to the victory.
Richardson, the team captain, stated, “I think making the NEWMACs means a new chapter for Smith softball and a new-felt pride in the program, which will only grow in the upcoming years. It’s a testament to the work that we as a collective unit have dedicated to this season, to this program, and to each other.”
For the first time since 2006, the Pioneers are headed to the final day of the tournament, which will be on May 3 at Wheaton College at 10:00 a.m.
