Wesleyan Takes Game 7 for 2010 Softball Championship

Courtesy Williams Sports Information

Game 6 Box Score | Game 7 Box Score

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Taylor Zavadsky smacked a grand slam home run Sunday in an eight-run third inning for the Cardsinals, leading Wesleyan to a 10-1 win over Bowdoin in the championship game of the 2010 NESCAC Softball Championship.

It's the first NESCAC title for the Cardinals, who improved to 23-16-1 with the win. They receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Bowdoin finished its season with a 33-12 record.

Sunday's championship game, forced by Bowdoin's Game 6 win (5-2) earlier in the day, ended after 5 innings due to the eight-run rule. The game was scoreless after 2 1/2 innings, but the Cardinals broke through in a big way in the bottom of the third, plating eight runs. Bowdoin starter Kara Nilan — who had already won two games Sunday, beating Williams 6-0 and Wesleyan 5-2 — opened the inning with a strikeout, but Cardinal senior Meaghan Dendy got the ball rolling for Wesleyan with a double to center field. She came around to score on an error when Tori Redding's grounder was misplayed.

With two outs, Redding took second on a wild pitch and scored on a bang-bang play at home when Taila Bernstein ripped a grounder back up the middle and into center field. Bowdoin center fielder Hillary Smyth came up with a perfect throw home, but Redding snuck her toe in for the run. Dan Levy then singled and Sam Epstein walked, loading the bases for Zavadsky, who launched a deep drive to left that sailed over the fence for a 6-0 lead.

Alexis Krall kept things going with a single up the middle. Allee Beatty walked, and Dendy's second hit of the inning, a single back through the circle, re-loaded the bases. Redding then added her second hit of the frame — a line drive single to center, that scored Kral and Beatty for an 8-0 lead.

That was it for Nilan, who won three games for Bowdoin in the tournament. The right-hander fell to 12-3, allowing 10 hits and eight runs, none of which were earned, while walking two and striking out one over three innings.

Wesleyan added two runs in the bottom of the fourth when Epstein ripped a two-run homer to left with two outs for a 10-0 lead. Bowdoin scored a run in the top of the fifth when Smyth's two-out single scored Jamie Paul, who led off the inning with a pinch-hit single, but it wasn't enough. Dendy earned the win, improving to 9-8 by tossing three innings and allowing two hits while walking no one and fanning one. She and Dana Levy split the pitching duties, alternating each frame. Levy allowed one hit over her two innings, walking one and striking out one.

At the plate, Dendy was 3 for 3 with a run scored. Levy was 2 for 3 with a run scored and Zavadsky finished 1 for 3 with four RBI. 

Shavonne Lord had Bowdoin's other hit in the game.

In game six earlier on Sunday, Clare Ronan hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning to put Bowdoin in the championship game of the 2010 NESCAC Softball Tournament with a 5-2 win over Wesleyan.

Wesleyan had won Game 4 Saturday, 12-6, before the Polar Bears rallied to win Game 6, 5-2, scoring four times in the top of the sixth.