Springfield, Mass. - May 7, 2024 - The Springfield College softball team fell to fourth-seeded Babson College, 1-0, on day two of the 2024 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament this afternoon on Potter Field.

Babson, which improved to 26-16 this year, moves on to the winner's bracket and will take on third-seeded MIT on Friday at 4:00 pm needing only one win to reach the NEWMAC title game, while Springfield, dipped to 28-9-1 and will take on second-seeded Wheaton College on Friday at 12:00 pm in an elimination game. After falling today, Springfield will need to win five straight contests to claim the NEWMAC title.

Today's game was a pitchers duel between Springfield's Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) and  Babson's Moira O'Reilly as there were only two hits - both for the Beavers - over the first four innings.

O'Reilly held Springfield hit less until the bottom of the fifth when Michaela Ponticello (Gloversville, N.Y.) lined an infield single to the shortstop, while DeRosa surrendered just two hits to the Beavers - one to Athena Hadjipanaya and one to Charlotte Raymond - both in the top of the second.

Babson had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the fifth on three straight singles, but got the final two batters to ground out ending the threat. In the bottom of the fifth, Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) reached on an error and Ponticello registered Springfield's first hit, but O'Reilly got out of the jam herself.

The lone run of the game came in the top of the sixth with two outs. A walk by Kate Karamouzis, who was pinch run for by Allie Cubberly, scored from third on an RBI knock by Sydney Pak.

Springfield had two runners on again in the sixth on an infield hit by DeRosa and a walk by Breannah McCann (Poway, Calif. ) and then after a Puskas single in the seventh, O'Reilly induced a lineout double play to end the threat by the Pride.

O'Reilly (16-7) registered four strikeouts and scattered three hits, while DeRosa (14-6) allowed six hits and one run.