Ephs split with Puget Sound, St. Thomas
ORANGE, CA. -- The Williams College softball team settled for a split at the Sunwest Tournament Thursday, defeating Puget Sound, 8-4, but falling to fourth-ranked St. Thomas, 7-0.
The Ephs are 3-3 overall. They face Knox College (10:45 a.m. PST) and La Sierra College (1 p.m.) Friday.
"So far we've had six games and three against top 10 teams,
which has given us a lot of opportunities to get better at a lot of
things," Ephs head coach Kris Herman said. "I think we're right
about where we should be at this point."
In Thursday's first game, Williams pounded out 16 hits en route to the 8-4 win, scoring three runs in the first inning. Joey Lye led off with a single and, after a fielder's choice, Katie Powers singled. With two outs, junior Libby Copeland-Halperin laced a two-run single and came, around to score on sophomore Mary Gelber's single.
In the third, singles by Powers, Morgan Simpson and Copeland-Halperin loaded the bases and an error allowed all three runners to score.
Copeland-Halperin went 4 for 4 with three RBI in the win, while Powers finished 3 for 4 with three runs scored. Emily Fowler-Cornfeld also went 3 for 4, and Simpson finished with two hits.
Senior Margaret Ryan started and went the first three-plus innings for the Ephs, allowing four hits and one run, unearned. Simpson hurled the final four innings and gave up five hits and three runs, only one earned, while striking out three.
The nightcap was marred by an injury to first-year hurler Mary Beth Daub, who was hit in the head by a line drive, was taken to the hospital and later released, according to Herman.
The Tommies (15-1) scored three runs in the second and three more in the third to build a commanding lead. First-year Caitlyn Cain hurled the final 3 1/3 innings and gave up three hits and one walk while striking out two.
The Ephs had five hits, two each by Lye and senior Taryn Goodman and one off the bat of Simpson.
