On Wednesday, it was back to business for the softball team as the Elis took on Fairfield in a doubleheader one day after Yale’s losses to Cornell. The Bulldogs topped the Stags 5-1 and 8-1.
The first game of the day between the Bulldogs and the Stags began as a pitcher’s duel for the early innings of the game. Kayla Kuretich ’10 pitched a gem through six innings as she held the Stags to only two hits during those frames. But the Elis’ bats were stifled during the early innings as well and were held to just one hit through the first four innings.
“We know we were going to win, you just have to forget the losses,” designated player Katie Edwards ’09 said.
Yale did eventually break through the Fairfield pitching in the bottom of the fifth inning when third baseman Mariclaire Rebman ’11 opened the inning with a single. Rebman would advance to second on a balk and advance to third on a ground out to the shortstop by catcher Lexi Peacock ’12. Rebman was brought home by a Chelsey Locarno ’12 RBI single to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless Fairfield at-bat, Yale came up to the plate once again, and the Elis’ bats really took control of the game. Second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11 began a rally with a one out single to left field. The rally continued with two outs left when Katie Edwards ’09 reached on an error and Yanagisawa scored. Virginia Waldrop ’12 came into pitch run for Edwards and the move was followed by a Megan Enyeart ’09 single. Both runners were brought home on a Meg Johnson ’12 triple. Rebman then scored Johnson on a single, capping a four run inning to give the Elis a 5-0 lead.
The Stags went on to score one run in the top of the seventh, but their efforts were not enough as Yale would win the game 5-1.
In the second game of the day, the Elis sought to keep the momentum going as they tried to put another tally in the win column.
The game featured less pitching dominance by Fairfield as it didn’t take long before the Elis got going again offensively.
The game was scoreless through the first inning, but in the bottom of the second Edwards secured a leadoff walk. The walk was followed by a Johnson double. Both runners were brought home by catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 on a single to left field giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead over the Stags.
Deanna DiBernardi ’09 kept her no-hitter intact through three innings as Fairfield was unable to get anything going at the plate.
Yale continued to add on to their early lead in the bottom of the third starting with a single by outfielder Lauren Huddleston ’10. Huddleston was able to advance to second after Edwards was hit by a pitch. Huddleston would score the only run of the inning off of an Enyeart single to center field and put the Elis up 3-0.
Fairfield broke up DiBernardi’s no-hitter in the fourth inning and scored its only run of the game off of a double to left-center field.
The Bulldogs put the game away in the bottom of the fourth inning with a five run rally started by a Waldrop double to centerfield. Waldrop was followed by a single by outfielder Ashley Sloan ’10, and was brought home on a Yanagisawa single. Sloan would score on a throwing error after Huddleston, who walked, stole second. Huddleston would eventually come home on an Edwards single. An Enyeart double batted in the fifth run of the inningt giving the Elis an 8-1 lead by the end of the fourth.
The runs in the fourth would be all the Bulldogs needed as they rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Stags for their second win on the day.
“Yeah it definitely felt good to win two at home,” Waldrop said, “And our pitching was fantastic today.”
Yale will face Columbia in a doubleheader at home on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m., followed by a doubleheader against Penn the next day.