The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference

WELLESLEY, Mass. - In the opening round of the New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Softball Tournament, #5 Babson College defeated #4 Clark, 3-2, in 10 innings. With the win, the Beavers will face top-seeded Wellesley at 5:00 today. Clark drops to the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament, facing an as-yet-to-be-determined opponent at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, at Wellesley College.

After two uneventful innings, Babson threatened in the top of the third, using a walk, a Clark miscue, and a single from Courtney Thurston (Tauton, Mass.) to load the bases with one out. But Cougar pitcher Heather Warren (Upland, Calif.) snagged a bouncer up the middle to get the force out at home, then retired the next batter on a fly to left to end the inning.

Both pitchers remained strong through the middle innings. After five innings, Clark's Warren had scattered five hits and allowed no runs. Babson's Danielle Liska (Seymour, Conn.) had given up only two hits, holding the potent Clark offense scoreless.

Entering the seventh inning in a 0-0 tie, Warren retired the Beavers in order. Liska did the same, setting up the extra-inning battle.

In the top of the eighth, the international tie-breaker rule placed Thurston on second to start the inning. A single to left from Jess Cohen (Pittsford, N.Y.) drove in Thurston, finally breaking the 0-0 tie and giving the Beavers a 1-0 edge.

In the bottom of the inning, Clark's Julie Murray (Millbury, Mass.) was placed on second. A bunt from Chelsea Proulx's (Franklin, N.H.) advanced Murray to third. With the infield playing in, a bloop single to short right scored Murray, tying the game at 1-1.

A scoreless ninth for both teams pushed the game to ten innings. To begin the inning Jess Byrn (Safety Harbor, Fla.) was placed on second. With one out, Cohen doubled to deep left scoring Byrn and giving the Beavers a 2-1 edge. Jess Winer (Longmeadow, Mass.) followed with a single to leftcenter, driving in Cohen for a 3-1 lead. Russo's single up the middle nearly
broke the game open, but a strong throw from Julie Parnell (Webster, Mass.) nailed pinch-runner Caroline Barr (Wilmington, Mass.) at the plate, keeping the score at 3-1.

In the bottom half of the inning Katherine Tutela started on second base, scampering home on a two-out double from Blake to cut the lead to 3-2. But Liska slammed the door with her 11th strike out of the game, securing Babson the win.

Russo led the Beaver offense, going 3-for-5. Thurston, Byrn, Cohen, and Winer added two hits each, with Cohen driving in two runs. Liska earned the win for Babson, allowing six hits and no earned runs in 10 innings of work.

Proulx had a good day at the plate for Clark, going 3-4. Blake, Parnell and Darcy Kurashige-Elliott chipped in one hit each. Warren takes the loss, allowing 10 hits and three runs in 9.1 innings.

Babson Edges Clark in Opening Round of NEWMAC Softball Tournament