Fairfield swept the softball team yesterday, leaving Yale with five losses in six games. The Bulldogs, who have now lost their last six contests against the Stags, fell 5–4 in the first game and 6–2 in the second, hurting their momentum as they prepare for their first Ivy League competition of the season this weekend.
“We’re a better team than how we were playing today,” pitcher Chelsey Dunham ’14 said. “We just need to play with a lot more confidence.”
Although stormy weather early in the day threatened to call the game, by the time the Elis (6–12, 0–0 Ivy) took the field, the sun had came out and the game proceeded as planned.
Fairfield (14–15) began the first game with four runs in the bottom of the first, while the Bulldogs were held scoreless for the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, the Elis scored their first run, but the Stags responded with a run of their own in the sixth, bringing the score to 5–1. A last-minute comeback by the Bulldogs in the top of the seventh was not enough to snatch the lead, and they lost the game 5–4.
Prior to Wednesday, the Bulldogs had fought into extra innings in four of their last six games. While team members said this was an aspect of the team’s never-give-up attitude, they also said it was time to take the initiative early in the game and stop comebacks from being necessary.
“The ball’s not going to hit itself,” shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 said. “We need to stop playing catch-up and get control of the game early on.”
In the second game against Fairfield, Yale seemed off to a good start with an early run in the top of the first by Tori Balta ’14. But the Stags soon regained control with a two-run response in the bottom of the first. With only one hit in the next three innings, the Bulldogs found themselves down 5–1 after Fairfield scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
As usual, the Bulldogs prepared themselves for a comeback. The top of the fifth looked promising. Riley Hughes ’15 started the inning with a single to left field. Jennifer Ong ’13 walked, and Balta made her way to first off of a fielder’s choice. An RBI single by Sarah Onorato ’15 brought Ong home and took the score to 5–2. Johnson singled, loading the bases with only one out and bringing the go-ahead run to batter’s box. But Yale did not capitalize on the situation. Captain Christy Nelson ’13 struck out and Hannah Brennan ’15 ended the inning with a ground ball to the pitcher, leaving three on base and ending the Bulldog’s chance for retribution. Yale would not threaten again, and a run for the Stags in the bottom of the fifth sealed their 6–2 win.
Dunham (4–5) took the loss for the second game. After attempting to change her throwing style mid-season, she lost two games last weekend. She said she hopes to recover before Ivy play on Friday.
“I don’t have a lot of drive with my pitches, and I’m still stuck between these two styles,” Dunham said. “I’m trying to get back to how I was throwing in Florida.”
This weekend, the Elis will face Columbia (5–14, 0–0 Ivy) on Friday and Penn (15–10, 0–0 Ivy) on Saturday. Ong said the ingredients for victories this weekend are there; the team just has to put all the elements together. The Bulldogs swept both teams last year.
The softball team (5-7, 0-0 Ivy) showed a flair for the dramatic on Wednesday afternoon, going to extra innings in both legs of a doubleheader that it split with Marist (8-15).
In their third straight split against the Red Foxes, the Bulldogs brought the two schools’ all-time series to a 13-13 tie. Yale won the first game 3-2 in nine innings and lost the second 5-2 in eighth.
“These games are the best because they are really close,” pitcher Kylie Williamson ’15 said. “You know they are a tough battle, but it’s always awesome to come out on top.”
Marist had already proven its mettle against a team similar to Yale this season, having shut out Ivy powerhouse Cornell (6-8, 0–0) 6-0 earlier this month. After the split with the Red Foxes, shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 said the result, combined with the particularly strong play of the freshman class, left the team where it wants to be going into Ivy matchups against Columbia and Penn in two weeks.
The Elis began the first game against Marist with a run in the first inning. Tori Balta ’14 knocked out a single to left field, advanced to third on an overthrow and was brought home on a sacrifice fly from third baseman Christy Nelson ’13. But Marist took the lead with two runs in the top of the third. After a triple by Johnson tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth, the Elis were held scoreless for four innings. Johnson had been injured with a dislocated shoulder in October and said she is trying to hit consistently rather than go for power.
The Bulldogs left two on base in an unfulfilled sixth-inning rally, and had to wait until the ninth inning to bring their runners home. Johnson singled, stole second and advanced to third after Kelsey Warkentine ’13 grounded out. Hannah Brennan’s ’15 double down the right field line drove Johnson home to score the winning run. The bleachers erupted in cheering.
“We were really pumped and ecstatic,” Jennifer Ong ’13 said. “We knew we could win, it was just a matter of time.”
Chelsey Dunham ’14 (4-2) pitched a complete game. Dunham nabbed her fourth win of the season when she threw a season-high six strikeouts.
In the second game, Marist scored two runs by the top of the fifth. But the Bulldogs, who had no runs and only one hit for the first four innings, rallied with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to knot the score. It was Ong who plated the runs for Yale, with a two-RBI single to right field with the bases loaded.
The 2–2 deadlock at the end of the fifth held through two scoreless innings, until the Red Foxes broke the game open with three runs in the eighth. A two-run homer by Nicole DiViriglio in the extra frame provided the fireworks for Marist, and Yale could not respond. Balta managed a double in the bottom of the eighth, but she was left stranded as Yale lost by a final score of of 5-2. Williamson (0-2), in her first collegiate experience pitching extra innings, took the loss.
“We have a lot of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. We left a lot of runners on base,” Warkentine said.
The Elis will play two doubleheaders this weekend. On Saturday, they will travel to Bryant (4-13), and then they will return home to take on Providence (5-16) on Sunday.
The Marist matchup early in the season allowed the Bulldogs to continue trying out different combinations of positions prior to Ivy play, Johnson said.
“We now know that we can hang tough with other schools, especially in the Ivies,” Williamson said. “We have the skills and ability to compete with other teams.”
Yale’s game against Marist last year was cancelled due to rain.
After finishing its season opener at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. on March 16, the softball team (4–6, 0–0 Ivy) headed back to New Haven to take on Central Connecticut at home on March 15. The Bulldogs split Thursday’s double-header, losing the first game 4–0 but coming back for a 10–8 win in the second.
Though the Elis outhit the Blue Devils in the first game, they were unable to translate their six hits into runs. Head coach Barbara Reinalda said the team made many “mental mistakes,” contributing to eight Bulldogs left on base and lost scoring opportunities. A rally early in the sixth inning, including a double by captain Christy Nelson ’13 and a single by Sarah Onorato ’15, left runners on second and third at the inning’s conclusion.
Central Connecticut, on the other hand, took advantage of three hits and an error to score four runs in the first three innings. Pitcher Chelsey Dunham ’14 (3–2), who pitched the complete game, faced her second loss of the season, bringing her ERA to 1.94 in 36 innings of work.
In the following game, the Bulldogs found themselves down 7–2 in the bottom of the fifth. Starting with a single by Virginia Waldrop ’12, who had two RBIs in the second, the Bulldogs turned the inning into a rout. By the end of the frame, the Blue Devils’ starter Jordan Tingley had been replaced, Tori Balta ’14 had doubled to bring Waldrop across the plate a second time and the Bulldogs had gained eight runs.
“Before we knew it, we had batted around,” Onorato said. “We turned the game around and turned the momentum in our favor.”
Central Connecticut outhit the Elis, 17–7, but a last-minute run in the seventh, bringing the score to 10–8, was not enough to overcome the Bulldogs’ rally. Pitcher Kristen Leung ’15 (1–1) took the win.
“This is not a ‘We’re just here to have fun’ team,” Reinalda said. “They want to win. They are very competitive.”
While in Florida, the Bulldogs beat Lehigh in another late rally. Meg Johnson ’12 started the inning with a single, stealing second later on. After a single by Jennifer Ong ’13 and an error, Johnson crossed the plate to bring the Elis to a 4–3 victory.
Though they ultimately lost to Holy Cross 7–6, the Bulldogs again did not give up until the end. The two runs they scored in the bottom of the seventh, however, were not enough to secure a win.
“This is not a team that rolls over and dies,” Reinalda said.
Nelson cited strong contributions by freshman team members in their first collegiate softball games. Nelson said pitcher Kylie Williamson ’15 stayed very “composed on the mound.”
“The team this year has a different vibe,” Dunham said. “We all have confidence we can do well, win games and do it together.”
The freshmen said they were thrilled to get out and play some games after a month of 6 a.m. practices.
“It’s good to get out on the field and be outside,” Onorato said. “We could see how what we’ve been working on all winter has been working out for us.”
The team will next play Marist at home in a doubleheader on Wednesday. The Red Foxes swept the Elis two years ago, though last year’s match was cancelled due to rain.
The softball team held steady at third in the Ivy League standings after dropping two games to Ivy League leader Harvard on Saturday in Cambridge.
The Crimson (28–14, 12–2 Ivy), who lead the league with a .312 batting average and are second with a 2.52 ERA, defeated the Bulldogs (15–21, 6–8) 8–0 in six innings in the opener and completed the sweep with a five-inning 11–1 win in the nightcap. The two victories allowed Harvard to maintain its hold of first place in the North Division and put the Bulldogs in a third place tie with Brown.
Though second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ‘11 doubled in the opener to extend her hitting streak to 23 games, she was kept hitless in the nightcap, bringing that streak to an end.
In the first game, Harvard pitcher Rachel Brown tossed a complete game shutout to lead her team to an 8–0 win over Yale. Brown limited the Bulldogs to five scattered hits while fanning nine in six innings of work.
Both teams were kept off the board through the first four innings, but Harvard broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Ashley Heritage opened the frame with a leadoff single and advanced to third on a steal and a sacrifice bunt. Jane Alexander then singled to bring home Heritage and reached second on a Yale error. The Crimson got two more runs on RBI singles from Ellen Macadam and Kasey Lange to extend their lead to 3–0.
Harvard sealed the win by scoring five runs in the following inning.
“Obviously it’s very frustrating,” Chelsea Janes ’12 said. “We played well for six innings in the first game and then it kind of got out of hand. Harvard is a very good team and we definitely didn’t play as well as we could.”
Strong pitching and hitting carried the Crimson to an 11–1 win over the Elis in the nightcap.
Harvard pitcher Laura Ricciardone allowed just one run on three hits through five innings to earn the win.
The Crimson wasted no time getting on the board in the second game. In the bottom of the first, Harvard loaded the bases after the first three batters all reached. The next batter, Whitney Shaw, then homered to give her team a 4–0 lead.
Harvard broke the game open in the bottom of the second, when it took advantage of five hits and a Yale error to score seven runs and seize an 11–0 lead.
The Bulldogs’ lone run came in the fourth inning after third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 went deep to left center.
“Harvard capitalized on the mistakes we made and put a lot of runs on the board,” captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 said. “While mistakes are disheartening, it’s energizing to know we should do better next time.”
Yale and Harvard close out their four-game series on Tuesday with another doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass.
The softball team will travel to Cambridge, Mass., this weekend to kick off a four-game series with archrival Harvard.
Yale (15–19, 6–6 Ivy) will look to dethrone the Crimson (26–13, 10–2), who are currently in first place in the North Division and have the best record in the Ancient Eight. The Elis sit in third place and trail Harvard by four games.
“They’re definitely the powerhouse this season, so we’re looking forward to give them a go,” third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 said Wednesday. “I think we can definitely do it if we all just pull together, get the right hits at the right time and play solid defense. It’s going to be an exciting weekend for us.”
Yale will look to avenge the four-game sweep they suffered at the hands of the Crimson last season in New Haven. Harvard defeated the Bulldogs 6–0 and 10–3 in the first doubleheader and 6–4 and 5–0 in the second twinbill.
In their final tune-up before the series, the Bulldogs split a doubleheader at Wagner on Wednesday. The Elis took the opener, 9–1, but fell to the Seahawks, 7–4, in the nightcap.
The Bulldogs are second in the league in hitting with a .298 team batting average. Yale has six players that are hitting above .300 in its lineup, led by shortstop Meg Johnson ’11, who currently has a .346 batting average.
Harvard enters the matchup after coming off a weekend sweep of Brown. The Crimson blanked the Bears in both games of the first doubleheader, 8–0 and 9–0, and completed the sweep by defeating Brown, 7–3 and 11–1, the next day.
Harvard currently has a .314 team batting average, which ranks first in the Ivy League. Ellen Macadam and Kasey Lange lead the team and are batting .420 and .407, respectively.
Harvard’s 2.47 team earned run average (ERA) is also the best in the Ancient Eight. Pitchers Laura Ricciardone (1.96 ERA) and Rachel Brown (1.98) have both anchored the Crimson’s pitching staff this season.
The first doubleheader is slated for Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The Bulldogs close out the series with another doubleheader on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.
The softball team broke its 0–4 midweek streak when it split its doubleheader at Wagner on Wednesday. The Bulldogs (15–19, 6–6 Ivy) took the first game, 9–1, before falling to the Seahawks (8–24), 7–4, in the nightcap.
The doubleheader saw two Elis reach impressive milestones: right fielder Jennifer Ong ’13 broke the school record for most doubles in a season by hitting her 15th double of the year in the first inning of the opener, while second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11 collected hits in both games to extend her hitting streak to 22 games. It is the second-longest active streak in collegiate softball.
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“I actually didn’t know that I broke the [doubles] record until about 30 minutes ago, so I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Ong said after the doubleheader. “I was just trying to get a hit so I could get things started.”
In the first game, the Bulldogs cruised to a 9–1 win over the Seahawks in five innings.
Pitchers Jackie Manzer ’13 and Alex Lucas ’14 combined to limit Wagner to just one run and three hits. Third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 and left fielder Virginia Waldrop ’12 both knocked in two runs.
Wagner’s lone run came in the bottom of the first inning when Carley Nicoletti was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Nicoletti moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Seahawks a 1–0 lead.
But the Bulldogs quickly seized control of the game with a six-run third inning. After the Elis loaded the bases, Nelson singled to drive in two runs and give Yale a 2–1 lead. The Bulldogs got another run on a bases-loaded walk by center fielder Tori Balta ’14, and Johnson knocked in a pair of runs with a single to left field. Waldrop’s RBI single capped the scoring and expanded Yale’s lead to 6–1.
The Elis added three insurance runs in the fifth on a solo shot by Nelson and RBI singles from Waldrop and Ong.
The home team took the second game of the doubleheader, handing the Bulldogs a 7–4 loss.
“The second game was a little shaky,” Nelson said. “We had a couple of rough innings. We were hitting line shots, they were just to the right people.”
The Seahawks got on the board in bottom of the first when Laura Hennig’s bases-loaded single knocked in two runs. Wagner took a 3–0 edge after Christina Pinkus walked with the bases loaded to force in a run.
Wagner right fielder Ashley Rollins gave her team a five-run lead in the fifth with a two-run homer to left center.
Still, the Bulldogs battled back in the sixth with a two-out rally. Yale got two runners in scoring position after Ong walked and moved to third on a double from Yanagisawa. The Elis then cut Wagner’s lead to 5–2 on an RBI single from first baseman Mariclaire Rebman ’11.
But the Seahawks established a five-run cushion in the following inning after Amanda Garcia hit an RBI double and later scored on a Yale error.
The Bulldogs narrowed the deficit to 7–4 in the top of the seventh with Johnson’s two-run blast to center field, though it would be as close as they would get in the game.
“I don’t think the score of the second game really reflects how we performed,” Ong said. “I think we hit really well, we just started hitting a little late. If it went on one or two more innings, we definitely would have been able to win, so I think most of us are really proud of our performance today.”
Yale is back in action on Saturday and Sunday with doubleheaders against archrival Harvard. First pitch for both is slated for 12:30 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass.
The softball team went into the weekend looking to build on its six-game winning streak, but Ivy League rival Dartmouth proved to be a roadblock to success.
The Big Green snapped the Elis’ streak by winning three out of four games at Yale over the weekend. The Bulldogs (14–18, 6–6 Ivy) dropped the first doubleheader against Dartmouth (14–15, 7–5) before earning a split the following day. Yale is now in third place in the North Division, while Dartmouth rose from fourth to second.
“I definitely think that for the whole weekend they didn’t beat us per se,” second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11 said. “I think that we gave them too many opportunities and made errors. We also didn’t get timely hits like they did.”
The series began on Saturday when the Big Green took both games of the first doubleheader on a cold, windy day at Dewitt Family Field.
Though the Elis outhit Dartmouth in the first game, a two-run homer by Molly Khalil in the fourth inning lifted the visitors to a 2–1 win over the Bulldogs.
“We definitely had a lot of opportunities to come out and win the first game,” captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 said. “We played solid defense, and the difference was one single hit that went over the fence.”
The Bulldogs’ lone run came in the fifth when shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 doubled and scored on an RBI double from center fielder Tori Balta ’14.
Yale threatened to score in the sixth when it loaded the bases, but it could not capitalize on the scoring opportunity.
The Big Green then took the nightcap, 9–1, in six innings.
The visitors took advantage of three Yale errors in the first inning to open up an early 4–0 lead and added three more runs in the third.
Yale got on the board in the bottom of the third after right fielder Jennifer Ong ’13 doubled to drive in designated player Kelsey Warkentine ’13, but it would be their only run of the game.
The Bulldogs avoided a weekend sweep by winning the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, but the Big Green took the nightcap to win the season series.
In the opener, the Elis erased a 2–0 deficit and scored three unanswered runs to earn a come-from-behind victory.
Dartmouth took an early 2–0 lead in the first inning when Kat Hicks and Alex St. Romain both walked with the bases loaded.
The Bulldogs pulled within one run in the bottom of the sixth. Yanagisawa led off the frame with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by first baseman Mariclaire Rebman ’11. She then scored on an error to cut the Big Green’s lead to 2–1.
Yale completed the comeback by scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to take the 3–2 win. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs and tied the game after Nelson walked to score Ong. The Elis scored the game-winning run on a passed ball that allowed Yanagisawa to sprint home from third and slid to beat the throw.
“We’ve been showing that we definitely have it in us to come back from behind,” Yanagisawa said. “We never give up. It shows a lot of character that we can get those runs every single time. It kind of sucks to always have to come from behind, but we can do it.”
Though the Elis also put together a rally in the nightcap, it wasn’t enough to overcome a five-run deficit, allowing Dartmouth to emerge with a 7–5 win.
Dartmouth struck first in the third after Noelle Ramirez hit a solo shot to left field to give the visitors a 1–0 lead.
Still, the Elis responded in the bottom of the frame. Ong opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a groundout by Yanagisawa. Third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 then drove in Ong with a double to right field to tie the game. Westman gave Yale a 2–1 lead with an RBI single.
The Big Green answered back in the next inning when they took advantage of three Yale miscues to score three runs and go up 4–2.
The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Johnson led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a single by Warkentine. The next batter, left fielder Chelsey Locarno ‘12, bunted to try to bring in Johnson from third, but Johnson was called out at the plate. The Elis then loaded the bases after Yanagisawa walked, but the next batter grounded out to end the inning.
Dartmouth extended its lead in the fifth with a two-run homer by pitcher Hillary Barker and added an insurance run in the sixth to go up 7–2.
Still, the Elis got back in the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Yale loaded the bases and scored on an error that allowed Rebman to reach first. The next batter, Nelson, then singled to drive in two runs and cut Dartmouth’s lead to 7–5.
Though a Dartmouth error helped the Bulldogs bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh, they could not take advantage of the opportunity and allowed the Big Green to come out with their third win of the weekend.
Yale is back in action on Wednesday with a doubleheader at Wagner. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The softball team (13–15, 5–3 Ivy) will look to extend its six-game win streak this weekend when it takes on Dartmouth (11–14, 4–4) in two doubleheaders on Satuday and Sunday at home.
The Bulldogs are coming off a weekend in which they won three consecutive doubleheaders against Penn, Columbia and Rhode Island. The two Ivy League sweeps vaulted Yale up to a second-place tie with Brown in the North Division, just one game behind first-place Harvard.
Over the weekend, the Elis hit .361 as a team and outscored their opponents 47–28. Overall, the Bulldogs are batting .305 as a team, which ranks first in the Ivy League. Seven Elis are hitting above .300, led by right fielder Jennifer Ong ’13, who has a .350 batting average.
Other players have also been swinging hot bats, including second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11, who currently has a 16-game hitting streak. First baseman Mariclaire Rebman ’11 and third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 have both had hits in six consecutive games.
“I think if we just keep up what we’ve been doing the past six games we should be fine against Dartmouth,” Ong said.
Dartmouth is coming off a pair of weekend splits against Cornell and Princeton and currently sits in last place in the North Division.
The Big Green are currently hitting .278 as a team and have a 4.24 ERA. Dartmouth has also been strong at the plate and currently has four players hitting above .300 in its lineup. Evan Gray and Hillary Barker have started most games in the circle for the Big Green and have 3.85 and 4.41 ERAs, respectively.
Dartmouth also swept all four of the games against Yale last season. The Big Green won the first doubleheader of the series, 11–3 and 10–9, and then completed the sweep by defeating the Bulldogs, 7–3 and 11–3, the next day.
“I think that every single one of the people that was on the team last year can remember exactly what it felt like riding home on the bus after those games, and no way do we want to feel that again,” captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 said. “We want to send that their way this year. We’re definitely going to use that as motivation to come out and take both this weekend.”
First pitch for both doubleheaders is slated for 12:30 p.m. at Dewitt Family Field.
The softball team went into the weekend hoping to break a three-game losing streak and a win their first home game. The Bulldogs both broke the streak and emerged with a six-game winning streak of their own.
Yale (13–15, 5–3 Ivy) swept all three of its doubleheaders, defeating Penn (10–16–1, 2–6), Columbia (9–22, 1–7) and Rhode Island (3–32). The two Ivy League sweeps vaulted the Elis up to a second-place tie with Brown in the North Division.
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“We’re back in the swing of coming out and winning games consistently, and we’re putting our hits together and actually playing softball,” captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 said. “We get down, we fight back. I feel like we’re on a really good streak right now.”
Yale batted .357 as a team this weekend and outscored their opponents by a 47–28 margin.
The busy weekend began on Friday when the Bulldogs hosted Penn. Just two days after losing a doubleheader to Providence on two walk-off hits, the Elis rebounded with a pair of wins — one of which came on a walk-off hit.
In the opener, center fielder Tori Balta’s ’14 single in the bottom of the ninth to drive in third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 gave the Elis a 2–1 victory over the Quakers.
Chelsey Dunham ’14 pitched a complete game for Yale and allowed just one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
The Quakers took an early 1–0 lead in the second inning after Kayla Dahlerbruch walked and scored on an RBI double from Justine Payne.
The Bulldogs knotted the contest in the third on an RBI single from second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11.
The game remained deadlocked until the Elis broke through in the bottom of the ninth. Nelson opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on sacrifice bunt from Westman. Balta then singled to drive in Nelson and give Yale the walk-off win.
“It was really awesome,” Balta said. “It’s exactly what the team needed.”
The Bulldogs also defeated the Quakers in the nightcap, 10–6.
Though Penn struck first with two runs in the first, the Bulldogs took the lead by scoring three times in the second. Yale got its first run after Balta singled to drive in Nelson from second. Designated player Kelsey Warkentine ’12 and right fielder Jennifer Ong ’13 then hit RBI doubles to put the Elis ahead, 3–2.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 7–2 with four runs in the third.
Still, the Quakers got back in the game in the fourth. Penn scored twice on a bases-loaded double to cut the deficit to 7–4 and then pulled within two runs on a sacrifice fly.
But the Elis got two runs back in the fourth on RBI singles by Johnson and Balta and added an insurance run in the fifth.
Penn scored in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit, allowing the Elis to complete the sweep of their Ancient Eight rival.
“It’s a big deal, especially with Ivies and being at home,” Dunham said. “It was nice to take these two wins. The momentum is totally ours now.”
The Bulldogs took that momentum into their doubleheader against Columbia on Saturday and came out with two more wins. Yale defeated the Lions 7–0 in the opener and 12–7 in the nightcap.
Dunham was dominant in the first game, tossing seven shutout innings and allowing just three hits while striking out seven.
The Elis were strong on the offensive end as well. Yale first got on the board in the second after Nelson went deep to left field to give the home team a 1–0 lead.
The Bulldogs got two more runs in the fourth on an RBI single from Westman and an RBI double from Warkentine. Warkentine knocked in two more runs in the sixth with another RBI double, and first baseman Mariclaire Rebman ’11 singled to drive in a pair of runs and secure the Elis’ win.
The Bulldogs’ bats also carried them through the second game. Though the Lions opened up an early 4–0 lead through the first two innings, the Elis responded with three runs in the bottom of the second. Nelson and Westman started the rally with back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Balta then reached on a throwing error that scored Nelson and moved Westman to third. A squeeze play cut the deficit to 3–2 after Chelsey Locarno ’12 laid down a bunt single to bring in Westman.
“Our coach called the squeeze play,” Westman said. “All of my teammates were kind of surprised because I’m not the speediest person on our team, but [Locarno] had a perfect bunt [and] held it up in the air a little bit, so I had time to get there.”
The Elis pulled within one on a Columbia error that allowed Balta to reach home.
They then erupted for four runs in the third to take the lead. After Nelson doubled to start the frame, Westman drove her in with an RBI single to tie the game at 4¬–4. The Elis then loaded the bases for Ong, who singled to knock in two runs and give Yale the lead. Yale took a 7–4 edge on Yanagisawa’s RBI single.
Still, the Lions battled back and scored three runs in the fifth to tie the contest. Columbia threatened to retake the lead when it got the bases loaded with no outs, but Dunham came into the game and retired three straight batters to get out of the jam and keep the game tied.
But the game didn’t stay tied for long. In the bottom of the fifth, Warkentine launched a ball to center field that hit the top of the fence and bounced over for a two-run homer to give the Bulldogs a 9–7 lead.
“I knew she’d been pitching me to the inside all day, so I just stepped up there and I was ready for it,” Warkentine said. “I had hit a couple off the fence and I was just ready for one of them to tip over.”
The Elis got two more runs before the end of the inning on RBI singles off the bats of Rebman and Nelson. Yale added an insurance run in the sixth, and Dunham pitched two more scoreless innings to complete the sweep of the Lions.
Yale completed its third sweep on Sunday against Rhode Island with a pair of walk-off wins, defeating the Rams 4–3 in the opener and 12–11 in the nightcap.
The Bulldogs won the first game in the bottom of the eighth after a grounder by Ong allowed Balta to beat the throw home and score the game-winning run.
Dunham was once against strong for the Elis in the circle, going the full eight innings and allowing just three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and five walks.
Trailing 3–0 going into the fifth, the Elis got on the board after Yanagisawa scored on a sacrifice fly from Nelson. Yale tied it at 3–3 in the next frame when Ong singled to drive in two runs.
The game stayed tied until the bottom of the eighth when Balta walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Warkentine. A Rhode Island error then allowed left fielder Virgina Waldrop ’12 to reach and moved Balta to third. Balta then scored on a grounder by Ong that let her beat the throw home and give the Bulldogs the victory.
In the nightcap, the Bulldogs rallied from an 8–0 deficit to come back and win in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double from Nelson.
After the Rams opened up an eight run lead after erupting for seven runs in the second inning, Yale battled back and scored three runs in the second, third and fourth innings to seize a 9–8 edge.
That lead was short-lived, however, as Rhode Island added three runs in the fifth to go up 11–9.
A triple from Yanagisawa followed by a single from Rebman cut the Rams’ lead to one run in the fifth, and the Bulldogs tied it at 11–11 in the sixth when shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 scored on a throwing error.
Yale completed the comeback in the bottom of the seventh after Rebman doubled to lead off the inning and scored on an RBI double from Nelson.
The Elis are off until Wednesday when they host a doubleheader against Sacred Heart. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Dewitt Family Field.
This weekend will be action packed for the members of the softball team.
The Bulldogs (7–15, 1–3 Ivy) will host three doubleheaders in three days at Dewitt Family Field. Yale will start off the weekend with a twinbill against Penn (10–12–1, 2–2) on Friday and a pair of games against Columbia (8–19, 0–4) on Saturday. The Elis close out the weekend with a non-conference doubleheader against Rhode Island (3–27) on Sunday.
Yale is coming off two tough losses to Providence on Wednesday. The Friars defeated the Bulldogs in both games on walk-off hits — one a grand slam, and the other a single. Still, the Elis will look to rebound from the two defeats this weekend.
“You take something to learn from the games and you forget everything else,” captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 said on Wednesday. “You remember the good things, and you take the confidence into the next game. We won’t be carrying [the losses] with us at all.”
Yale will first face Ancient Eight rival Penn on Friday. The Quakers last played on Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader against Villanova, where they lost the opener, 7–5, but came out with a 2–2 tie in the nightcap. In the opening weekend of Ivy League play last week, Penn was swept by Harvard but rebounded by defeating Dartmouth twice the next day.
Penn is currently batting .285 as a team, ranking third in the Ivy League, and has a 5.58 ERA.
The Quakers took both of the games in the doubleheader against the Bulldogs last season, winning 5–4 in the opener and 2–0 in the nightcap.
The Elis continue league play on Saturday with a twinbill against Columbia. The Lions are still looking for their first Ivy win after dropping their first two league doubleheaders against Dartmouth and Harvard last weekend.
Columbia boasts the second-best pitching staff in the league and currently has a 2.46 ERA. Though the Lions have been strong in the circle, they have struggled at the plate, as their .248 batting average is last in the league.
The Bulldogs swept the doubleheader at Columbia last season, defeating the Lions 6–0 in the opener and 8–7 in the second game.
On Sunday, the Elis will face Rhode Island for the first time since 2004. The Rams have struggled this season and are currently on a five-game losing streak after falling to Connecticut on Thursday, 11–7. Rhode Island is batting just .210 at the plate with a 7.37 ERA.
First pitch against Penn is slated for 2 p.m. The games against Columbia and Rhode Island are scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.
The softball team lost in the toughest way possible on Wednesday — twice.
The Bulldogs (7–15, 1–3 Ivy) dropped a doubleheader at Providence (15–20), losing both games on walk-off hits — one a grand slam, the other a single. The Elis fell to the Friars 12–10 in the opener and 2–1 in the nightcap.
“It’s always tough to lose in the bottom of the seventh inning,” captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11 said. “We worked our butts off to come back and get 10 runs in [the sixth] inning [in the opener] and then lost that in the seventh, and then battled the entire second game with one run, keeping them at zero. That’s a pretty tough softball game.”
In the first game, the Bulldogs used a 10-run sixth inning to come back from a 7–0 deficit, but Providence shortstop Justine Stratton hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Friars to victory.
Stratton was a constant thorn in Yale’s side, going 4-for-5 and finishing with three homers and seven RBIs.
For Yale, Westman went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while first baseman Mariclaire Rebman ’11 and right fielder Jennifer Ong ’13 each knocked in two runs for the Bulldogs.
Providence jumped out to an early 2–0 lead in the first after a double from Michelle Huber was followed by a home run off the bat of Stratton.
The Friars made it 4–0 in the second. Providence loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly by Jen Abrams knocked in one run. The Friars got another run on an RBI single from Huber. The home team also scored three runs in the fourth to open up a 7–0 lead.
Still, the Bulldogs rallied in the sixth to not only get back in the game, but to take the lead. After loading the bases with no outs, the Elis got on the board when Westman singled to drive in two runs. Yale cut the deficit to 7–4 on an RBI single by Ong and also got two runs on a pair of Providence miscues. Rebman kept the rally alive with a two-run single, and Westman capped the scoring by driving in two runs with an RBI double that gave the Elis a 10–7 lead.
“Hitting is contagious,” Ong said. “Once we got the rally going, I think it was contagious and everybody caught on to it and everybody wanted to be a part of it.”
Stratton’s solo shot in the bottom of the sixth pulled the Friars within two, but it was her home run in the seventh that really made the difference. After Providence loaded the bases on a walk and two base hits, Stratton hit a walk-off grand slam to left center to give the Friars the 12–10 victory.
Providence took the nightcap in a similar fashion. Though Yale led 1–0 for most of the game, the Friars scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to emerge with the 2–1 win.
Providence spoiled a strong performance from pitcher Kristen Leung ’14, who held the Friars scoreless through six innings and allowed only four hits.
The Bulldogs were limited to just four hits in the second game: singles by shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 and second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11 and two hits from Ong.
The Elis’ lone run came in the second inning after Johnson walked to lead off the frame and moved to third on two groundouts. She then scored on a passed ball to give the Bulldogs a 1–0 lead.
Though the Friars put together some scoring chances throughout the game, they didn’t break through until the bottom of the seventh. Megan McCann opened the inning with a walk and then stole second to move into scoring position. Providence tied the game at 1–1 on an RBI double from Abrams. The next batter, Huber, then drove in Abrams with a game-winning single to give Providence the win.
“It is really tough to lose both, but it’s also great to see us come back after being down seven runs,” Westman said. “I think it showed a lot of fighting spirit.”
The Bulldogs are back in action this weekend, hosting doubleheaders against Penn, Columbia and Rhode Island at Dewitt Family Field. The weekend kicks off Friday at 2 p.m. against Penn and continues on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. with a twinbill against Columbia. Yale closes out the weekend with a pair of games against Rhode Island, which are slated to begin at 12 p.m.
