McLaughlin, pitchers power Mules to sweep

Katie McLaughlin ’17

WATERVILLE, Maine — Katie McLaughlin ’17 had her second walk-off home run of the season to help the Colby College softball team to a 3-2 opening game win over Husson University in non-conference play Wednesday.

The Mules (11-13 overall) had four players with two hits or more in a 9-0 victory in the nightcap. The game was called after five innings because of the eight-run rule. Husson dropped to 8-20 overall.

 

Colby received terrific pitching performances from Julia Saul ’18 in the opener and Wiley Holton ’19 in the second game. Saul tossed a two-hitter, struck out eight, and walked none while allowing no earned runs. Holton allowed just one hit, struck out two, and walked one.

 

McLaughlin was having a quiet day at the plate until her home run to left field gave the Mules the victory. Skylar Labbe ’18 had two hits and drove in a run, while Robin Spofford ’17 had two hits and scored once.

 

Nicole Andrade and Olivia Smith had Husson’s hits in the opener.

 

The Eagles got off to a great start and led 2-0 after a half inning. Lyndsay Merrill was hit by a pitch to lead off, stole second base, and scored on a Colby error. Andrade brought in Casey Lopes, who had reached on the error, with an RBI single.

 

The Mules chipped away with a lone run in the third inning. Spofford singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on a fly out, and scored when Labbe doubled to left field.

 

Emily Schatz ’16 led off the sixth inning for Colby with a double. With one out, Schatz moved to third on a ground out. Saul helped her own cause by doubling to left field to plate Schatz with the tying run.

 

McLaughlin had two hits and drove in three runs in the second game. Labbe and Grace Farnkoff ’17 each had two hits, scored twice, and had an RBI. Schatz also had two hits and scored twice. Hartnett drove in a pair of runs.

 

Colby scored four runs in the first inning after Husson had recorded the first two outs of the inning. Tori Sansone ’16 doubled and came around to score on Labbe’s RBI single (she went to second on throw). After a walk to Schatz, Paige Hartnett ’19 tripled to center field to score Labbe and Sansone. Holton reached on an error to bring home the fourth run.

 

In the fourth inning,  Farnkoff singled to lead off. Sam Rizzo ’19 sacrificed to push Farnkoff to second base. McLaughlin doubled to center field to score Farnkoff.

 

Colby ended the game in the fifth inning with four runs. McLaughlin had a two-run double to score pinch-runner Vanessa Warshaw and Farnkoff.

 

Kristen Chipman had the lone hit for Husson in the second game.

 

Colby 3, Husson 2 (1st game)

Husson   200#000#0–2#2#1

Colby      001#001#1–3#9#1

Courtney MacIntyre (L) and Casey Lopes. Julia Saul (W) and Skylar Labbe. 2B: Olivia Smith (H), Emily Schatz (C), Skylar Labbe (C), Julia Saul (C). HR: Katie McLaughlin (C).

Colby 9, Husson 0, 5 inn. (2nd game)

Husson    000#00–0#1#1

Colby       400#14–9#11#0

Olivia Smith (L), Olivia Maynard (5) and Casey Lopes. Wiley Holton (W) and Skylar Labbe. 2B: Kristen Chipman (H), Katie McLaughlin (C) 2, Emily Schatz (C), Tori Sansone (C). 3B: Paige Hartnett (C).