May 13, 2005
BABSON PARK, Mass. - Williams College sophomore Katelyn Knox (Great Falls, Va.) hit a grand slam to highlight a five-run fifth inning as the fourth-seeded Ephs defeated top-seeded Endicott College, 10-2, in the 2005 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament New England Regional at Babson College today. Williams (26-12) will now move on to face either Keene State College or Babson College in the winners' bracket at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while Endicott (33-3-1) will take on UMaine-Farmington in an elimination game at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Assuming the Gulls win in the morning they will play again at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
Williams took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, as junior Alana Frost (Oakland, Calif.) doubled and scored on an error that allowed senior Mary Baccash (Evanston, Ill.) to reach. Another Endicott miscue allowed junior pinch-runner Melissa Vandermyn (Springfield, Mass.) to move to third, and she came home when junior Christine Williams (Clifton Park, N.Y.) was caught attempting to steal second. Still leading 2-0, the Ephs broke the game open with a huge five-run fifth, capped off by a grand slam to left by Knox that scored Frost, Baccash, and Williams ahead of her.
Endicott would get two runs back in the sixth when senior Elyse Colby (Manchester, N.H.) drove in teammate Megan Young (Portland, Maine) with a double to right center and later scored on a passed ball. However, Williams added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by RBI singles from junior Laura Noel (Houston, Texas) and first-year Taryn Goodman (New City, N.Y.) to finish off the 10-2 victory.
Junior Clara Hard (Seattle, Wash.) improved to 14-3 with her second win of the day, as she allowed no runs on three hits while striking out six in four innings of work. Sophomore Robyn Savitske (Hellertown, Pa.) suffered her first loss of the season for Endicott, dropping her record to 21-1 overall. The second-year right-hander, who had surrendered just five earned runs all season entering the tournament, gave up four earned while fanning six in 4 1/3 innings.
Endicott senior Katie Doherty (Saugus, Mass.) led all players with three hits (in three at bats) for the Gulls, while Knox, Noel, Frost and Baccash each had two hits for Williams.
Story courtesy of Babson College Sports Information Office