Kenzie Dore had three hits and three RBI, and McKenna Smith only allowed four hits in a complete 7.0 inning effort in the circle on Friday afternoon as the Husson Eagles upset the host school #22 Amherst College 6-1 in a First Round NCAA Division III Softball Regional Tournament game played in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The teams exchanged a run in the first inning. Dore had an RBI triple in the top half, while Rachel Lovejoy tied it with an RBI single for Amherst in the bottom half. The Eagles took the lead for good in a three run fifth. With two outs, consecutive RBI singles by Meagan Gosselin, Brianne McCabe, and Katie Raymond made it 4-1. Dore finished the scoring in the sixth inning with a two-run homerun to right center field after Whitney Bess drew a two out walk. Smith (18-3) keep the NESCAC Champion Mammoths off balance all afternoon, allowing just the one run while walking just two and striking out five. Teagan Blackie also had two hits for Husson. Megan Taketa had two hits for Amherst (24-8), with Dani Torres Werra (11-3) suffering the pitching loss.
Husson (27-9) now moves into a winners bracket game on Saturday at 12 p.m. when they face the Marlins from Virginia Wesleyan (34-11). #9 Virginia Wesleyan is a three-time national champion, and is the defending champion of Division III softball as well. Amherst, who had their six game win streak snapped, is forced into an elimination game against the University of Rochester (26-14) at 2:30 on Saturday in the double elimination format.
