Courtesy Williams Sports Information

Box Score

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - After surviving a 12 inning bout with Bowdoin in game 4, Williams defeated Middlebury 2-0 to win their first NESCAC Softball Championship. The Ephs got two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two run double from junior Kerri McMahon with one out in the bottom of the sixth, to defeat the Panthers. With the win, Williams became the first college other than Tufts to earn a NESCAC title.

On the mound for the Ephs was junior Liz Gluck. In her first start as a pitcher of the NESCAC Tournament, Gluck fashioned a complete game, 3-hit shutout for the Ephs, earning the win in the title game.

Middlebury hurler Megan McCarthy shut the Ephs out through the first five innings, but in the sixth the Ephs finally found a way to break through.

After a swinging bunt by first-year Cathleen Clark started things off for Williams, sophomore Alana Frost reached base and advanced to second after Middlebury third baseman Lauren Battaglia's throw to first on Frost's sacrifice bunt skidded into foul territory behind the bag. Clark scrambled to third, and the Ephs had a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out and their 2-3-4 hitters coming to the dish.

Eph Head Coach Kris Herman's first bid to push the run home failed when Gluck could not make contact on a suicide squeeze; Clark was gunned down at third after trying to race back to third. After that minor gaffe, Gluck kept the rally going with a sharp single under the glove of second baseman Maura Casey, and hustled to second when the throw from the outfield came to the plate to keep Frost from scoring from second. McMahon hit a 1-0 offering from McCarthy down the left field line to bring both Frost and Gluck around to score. Gluck sent the Panthers down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to make champions of the Ephs.

With the win, Williams advances to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship and will await the details of next weekend's regional tournament bracket announced on Sunday.

2004 NESCAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, April 30 at Williams
Game 1: 2:30 p.m. Williams 1, Tufts 0
Game 2: 5:00 p.m. Bowdoin 2, Middlebury 0

Saturday, May 1 at Williams
Game 3: 10:00 a.m. Middlebury 2, Tufts 0
Game 4: 12:30 p.m. Williams 2, Bowdoin 1
Game 5: 3:00 p.m. Middlebury 5, Bowdoin 0
Game 6: 5:45 p.m. Williams 2, Middlebury 0