Courtesy Wesleyan Sports Information

Box Score

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Trinity got a three-hit shutout from freshman pitcher Kristen Anderson and home runs from freshmen Nicole Nardella and Melanie Orphanos to carry the Bantams past host Wesleyan 7-0 in Game1 of the 2008 NESCAC Softball Championship. Trinity moves on to face Tufts, a 7-0 winner over Williams, on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., while Wesleyan will take on Williams at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Wesleyan and Trinity had split a double-header six days earlier.

Trinity got off the mark early as senior Laura Cutler singled home freshman Katherine Stoltenberg, who had walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Stacy Hathcox. A two-run blast over the center-field fence by Orphanos in the 2nd inning made it 3-0. The Bantams, who collected 12 hits off two Wesleyan hurlers, added three unearned runs in the 3rd inning as groundouts by Nardella and sophomore Patricia Cipicchio brought home runs as did a double to right-center by freshman Taylor LaRese, all after a Wesleyan error to start the frame. When Nardella sent a tower shot over the left-field fence in the 5th inning, Trinity had its final run.

On the mound, Anderson, in only her fifth start of the season, controlled the Wesleyan bats. The Cardinals had hit .429 during the double-header at Trinity but were limited to a .130 average today. At one point, Anderson went 15 straight batters without allowing a hit, and only one Cardinal reached base, that by a walk. Of the 21 outs recorded in the game by Trinity, 14 were groundouts, four were strikeouts, one was a fly ball to center, another a pop to second base and another a runner caught trying to steal third.

Wesleyan captured two of three from Williams during the regular season, winning 12-4 and 2-1 while dropping a game by a 5-1 count.