WALTHAM, Mass. (April 3, 2026) – Smith College swept a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball doubleheader from Emerson College at Bentley Softball Field this afternoon. The Bears rolled to an 11-2 win in six innings in game one, before scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh for a 3-2 win in the nightcap.
Game 1: Smith 11, Emerson 2 (6-innings)
Smith jumped out to a six-run lead in the fourth inning and then pulled away late to secure an 11-2 win in six innings in game one. The bottom third of the Bears lineup produced seven of their ten hits in the contest.
Junior Bailey Gray paced the Smith lineup by hitting 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and three RBI, while senior Elinor Washington batted 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base, two runs scored and two RBI. Sophomore Lily Hackett hit 3-for-3 with a double, stolen base, RBI and two runs scored for the Bears. First year Riley Veenstra chipped in by hitting 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Bears.
First year Violet Peverly earned the win (5-4) in the circle for Smith, allowing just two unearned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks over six innings.
Sophomore Avi Kuperman finished 1-for-2 at the plate for Emerson with a double and RBI, while junior Riley Caiazza went 1-for-3 with a double and run scored. Junior Cal Sheehan took the loss in the circle, allowing seven runs, just three earned, on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings. She also helped at the plate by batting 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Smith broke through in the third inning after Emerson had stranded Kuperman's leadoff double in the bottom of the second. Washington singled through the left side, stole second and then scored on Hackett's double to right center. Hackett later scored on a wild pitch.
Smith extended its lead with a four-run fourth, all runs unearned, as it took advantage of two Emerson errors. Washington highlighted the inning with a two-run double to left with two out. Emerson got two runs back in the bottom of the frame as Kuperman drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and then Sheehan added an RBI single to center.
Smith broke the game open with a four run sixth, capped by a two-run double by Gray after an RBI single from Veenstra.
Game 2: Smith 3, Emerson 2
Riley Veenstra delivered an RBI single to right with two out in the top of the seventh for the go-ahead run in the 3-2 triumph in game two. Veenstra finished 2-for-4 the game winning RBI, while Bailey Gray shined in the circle and at the plate in the win. She batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and earned the win in the circle (4-1) allowing two runs, just one earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
Junior Ally Knutson batted 2-for-3 for Smith with two runs scored, while first year Gabbie Chinnis went 1-for-4 with a double, RBI and run scored.
Riley Caiazza hit 2-for-3 with a double and RBI for Emerson, while first year Valentina Luciano went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Sophomore Kari Sorensen batted 1-for-3 with an RBI, while first year Tessa Burroso went 2-for-3 for the Lions. Junior Kate Regan pitched well in defeat (0-5) for Emerson, allowing three earned runs and scattering 11 hits over seven innings.
Smith struck for two runs in the top of the first with Chinnis following a leadoff single by Knutson with a double to center. Gray drove in Chinnis with a one out single through the left side. The Bears would go on to load the bases against Regan, but she settled and got out of the inning and then held the visitors scoreless over the next five innings.
Emerson got a run back in the home half of the first with an RBI single up the middle by Caiazza scored first year Malena Cardinale who reached on an error to lead off the frame. The Lions pulled even with a one out single to center from Sorensen in the third drove in Luciano who had led off with a single down the leftfield line.
Knutson led off the seventh with a single to center and then scored the go-ahead run with Veenstra's single to right with two out. Emerson got a lead off single from Burroso in the bottom of the seventh, but she was doubled off on a sharp lineout to the pitcher. Luciano followed with an infield single, but Gray was able to retire the next hitter to end the game.
Up Next
Emerson (3-11, 1-3 NEWMAC) is right back in action tomorrow when it visits Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) for a NEWMAC doubleheader starting at noon. The Lions next home game is next Saturday, April 11, when they host Babson College for a NEWMAC doubleheader at Rotch Field at 1 p.m. Smith (9-8, 3-1 NEWMAC) visits Wheaton College tomorrow at noon.
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