Springfield, Mass. - April 17, 2015 - With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, freshman Emily Reynolds (Charlton, Mass.) stepped up to the plate and drove a single to center field, scoring Brielle Engelbrecht (Granby, Mass.) and Mackenzie Navarro (Taunton, Mass.) to give the Springfield College softball program a 4-3 walk-off victory over Wellesley in the second game of the doubleheader at Potter Field on Friday afternoon.

Springfield dropped the first game, 4-3, despite a late-inning rally. With the split, the Pride is now 16-15 overall on the season, and 11-5 in league play.  The Blue is now 14-10 in 2015, while also remaining at 7-6 in the NEWMAC.

Just like in the first game, Springfield put on the pressure in the bottom of the seventh, when Kirsten Drobiak (Jewett City, Conn.) singled up the middle, scoring Jenna Webb (Harrison, N.Y.) from third base to cut the Pride's deficit to one. 

With Navarro on second after a stolen base and Engelbrecht on third, the Blue intentionally walked Elizabeth Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) to load the bases, before Reynolds drove a single into center field, scoring Navarro and Engelbrecht to give the Pride the walk-off win. 

On Saturday, Springfield will travel to Wheaton for another critical NEWMAC contest beginning at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Wellesley 4, Springfield 3 -- Game One

Freshman Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.) got the nod for Springfield, and pitched 6.1 innings, giving up 11 hits and four runs, while also striking out five Wellesley batters. Jordyn Moquin (Southington, Conn.) came in to get the final two outs for the Pride. For the Blue, Madeline Bianchi (Lakeville, Minn.) pitched a complete-game five hit and three run against performance, including five strikeouts.

Springfield struck first in the contest, as Joseph blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning after Loda reached first, then stole second, to give the Pride an early 2-0 advantage.

In the top of the third, the Blue cut its deficit in half when Maria LaBouyer (Luba City, Calif.) doubled to left center, driving home Amanda Manning (Durham, Calif.) before Manning drove in Jaclyn Tsang (Manalapan, N.J.) in the top of the fifth to even the score at two apiece. 

Wellesley would take the lead in the top half of the final frame, when Carly Bresee (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) doubled to center, driving home Tsang, before Kendra Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) smacked a single up the middle that scored Bresee to give the Blue a 4-2 lead. 

In an attempt to rally, Joseph cracked her second home run of the game, but the Pride's comeback fell short as it dropped the opening game, 4-3.

Springfield 4, Wellesley 3 -- Game Two

Nicole Cring (Cooperstown, N.Y.) started the second game of the doubleheader, pitching 5.0 innings, giving up eight hits and three runs, while also striking out one batter. Moquin came on in relief in the sixth inning, pitching 2.0 innings, giving up just two hits in her outing.

For the Blue, Julia Warner (Kenmore, Wa.) pitched 6.1 innings, giving up 11 hits and four runs, while striking out four. After giving up a single to Drobiak in the bottom of the seventh, Bianchi came on to try and close out the Pride, but gave up one walk and the eventual game-winning hit for the Pride. 

It took the Blue no time to get the scoring started in game two, as it took an early 1-0 advantage in the top of the first inning when LaBouyer drove home Bresee with a single to left field. In the bottom of the second, Springfield knotted the score at one run apiece when Joseph reached on an error from the Blue's center fielder, which scored Navarro. 

The two sides went back-and-forth, until the Blue broke the tie in the top of the fifth inning when Emilyrose Havrilla (Caldwell, N.J.) singled to right field, scoring LaBouyer, before Mariah Phillips (Palo Alto, Calif.) hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Coleman from third to take a 3-2 lead.

Springfield once again rallied in the bottom of the seventh, and this time prevailed, as Reynolds' heroics gave Springfield its 11th conference victory of the season.