Wellesley, Mass. – April 3, 2011 – The Springfield College softball team battled to split a pair of games against Wellesley in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The Blue took the opener 8-0 in six innings, but the Pride rebounded to win game two, 6-3.

The split sets Wellesley’s season record to 10-6 with a 2-2 mark in NEWMAC play. Springfield now sits at 13-8 overall, 5-3 in the NEWMAC.

Kelly Blake had three hits on the day, including a 2-3 performance in the second game and knocked in three runs.

Game one was all Wellesley, as the arm of Lauren Goldfarb and the bats of Sara Del Balzo and Sinta Cebrian led the Blue to a mercy-rule shortened 8-0 victory. Goldfarb threw six strong innings, allowing only three hits with six walks and six strikeouts. Del Balzo compiled a 3-4 day with four RBI, while Cebrian picked up two hits and three RBI.

Wellesley opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as a Del Balzo single plated Goldfarb. Later, in the bottom of the fifth, the Blue exploded for five runs, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Del Balzo and a three-run homerun from Cebrian.

The Blue ended the game in the bottom of the sixth, as Jayne Ellis contributed an RBI groundout scoring Goldfarb and Del Balzo added her fourth RBI of the game, plating Megan Townsend .

Springfield’s Ashley Marino picked up the loss in game one, throwing four and two thirds innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, while striking out three and walking one. Stef Grande came on in relief, throwing an innng of work, allowing two runs on three hits.

Game two featured hot-hitting from the Springfield pair of Blake and Breann Joyce, as the Pride picked up a 6-3 victory. Both players contributed 2-3 performances with three RBI and a homerun.

Springfield had a big first inning, as Blake’s two run homerun and Joyce’s solo shot pushed the Pride out to a 3-0 lead. Wellesley would answer in the bottom half of the inning, as both Cebrian and Lindsay Johnson had RBI singles to cut the lead to 3-2.

After four scoreless innings, Springfield again broke through with a three-run effort. In the top of the sixth, the Pride got an RBI single from Blake and a two-RBI single from Joyce to push their lead to 6-3.

Wellesley rallied in the bottom half of the seventh inning, scoring a run off a Goldfarb single, but the Blue couldn’t complete the comeback.

In the circle for Springfield, Jen Joseph earned her sixth win of the season, throwing all seven innings. She scattered eight hits for three runs, while striking out two.

Wellesley’s Johnson took the loss, throwing seven innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with seven walks and five strikeouts.