CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT softball team earned a Sunday doubleheader sweep of Smith College as the Engineers improved to 13- 3 in NEWMAC play.
Junior Olivia Scarpaci (Staten Island, N.Y.) launched her sixth homer of the season and tenth of her career, both of which rank second in program history.
THE BASICS:
- Scores:
- Game 1: MIT 8, Smith 1
- Game 2: MIT 10, Smith 4
- Records: MIT (22-9 Overall, 13-3 NEWMAC), Smith (7-25, 3-13 NEWMAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME ONE:
- MIT jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first. First year Layla Thiessen (Carlsbad, Calif.) led off the game on a triple to left and scored on an RBI single by senior Mikayla Cable (Valrico, Fla.). After an infield single from senior Mackenzie Bivin (San Diego, Calif.) put runners on first and second, sophomore Arianna Kumar (San Diego, Calif.) tripled to left to make it 3-0. Kumar then scored on a sacrifice fly from Scarpaci.
- After Kat Wajerski (Bellevue, Wash.) doubled to lead off the second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, senior Kennedy Adkison (San Jose, Calif.) threw out Piper Corey (Phoenix, Ariz.) on what looked to be a single to right to end the inning and keep Smith off the board.
- A lead-off walk in the fourth helped Smith get its lone run of the day as Ava Lansbury (Arlington, Va.) came around to score on a double from Taz Tamai (Cincinnati, Ohio).
- Junior Ava Ladd (austin, Texas) singled to left and Bivin walked to put two runners on for Kumar in the fifth. Kumar then singled to score Ladd and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Bivin and Kumar would then both score on wild pitches to make it a 7-1 MIT lead.
- Adkison doubled to left to lead off the sixth and came around to score the eighth run of the day for MIT on a wild pitch.
- Junior Caroline Langmeyer (Upper Arlington, Ohio) retired Smith in order in the seventh to seal the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Lamgmeyer tossed her ninth complete game to move to 12-2 this season. She gave up just three hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
- Thiessen went 3-4 from the leadoff spot. Kumar finished the day 2-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME TWO:
- Adkison singled to lead off the third and advanced to third on a sac bunt from first year Maggie Feng (Brookfield, Wis.). Adkison then scored on a groundout by Delaney Benevides (Plainville, Mass.). Three straight RBI singles from Ladd, Cable, and Bivin gave MIT a 4-0 advantage.
- The Pioneers were quick to respond in the fourth, tying the game with three RBI hits and an Engineer error.
- Ladd tripled home two runs in the fifth to put MIT back in front 6-4. Ladd then scored on a wild pitch to make it a 7-4 lead. Kumar earned an RBI groundout and Scarpaci followed with a homer to left to put MIT up 10-4.
- Senior Katie Katsuyama (Manhattan Beach, Fla.) got Smith in order in the sixth and after a leadoff single, she got a fly out and double play to secure the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ladd ended the day 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. She leads the team with 27 RBI this season. Cable scored twice and knocked in her 21st run of the year.
- Bivin went 2-3 with a run and RBI and ranks second to Ladd with 26 RBI this year.
- First year Sarah Blackett (St. Petersburg, Fla.) went the first four, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits with three walks and two Ks. Katsuyama got her fourth win, going the last three, scattering two hits with two Ks.
UP NEXT:
- MIT heads on the road as the team travels to Coast Guard for a doubleheader on Friday, May 2 with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 PM.
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