Smith College's Snyder Blasts Grand Slam in Game One of Split with Brandeis

Photo is courtesy of Smith College

WALTHAM, Mass. - Junior Allison Snyder (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury)'s grand slam in the sixth inning was part of a six run frame, giving the Pioneers a 7-1 win in game one as the Smith College softball team split a doubleheader with Brandeis University Tuesday afternoon. The Judges came away with a 12-4 victory in six innings in the nightcap.

GAME 1: Smith 7 Brandeis 1

Junior Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) improved to 7-6 on the season by scattering seven hits over seven innings, allowing one unearned run, while Brandeis's Sadie-Rose Apfel (4-4) allowed five runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings of work before Melissa Soleimani took over and let up two runs on two hits.

The Judges scored first in the second inning, when senior 3B Madison Sullivan doubled off the top of
the right-field fence, moved to second on a bunt and scored on a passed ball.

Smith answered in the top of the fourth when 2B Alyssa Pioggia (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) led off with a home run to right field, the first of her career. The Pioneers broke through against Apfel in the sixth as senior 3B Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) plated the winning run with a single to right, while DP Sarah Tully (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) made it 3-0 by bouncing one up the middle to knock Apfel out of the game.

Soleimani hit the first batter she faced, then served up a grand slam to Snyder, giving the visitors the 7-1 lead. With Snyder's blast, Smith's new home run record is now 13 in a career.

The Judges stranded two runners each in the sixh and seventh frames but couldn't get anyone home. The top seven hitters in the Smith lineup all had hits, with hitters 3 through 7 getting two each.

GAME 2: Smith 4 Brandeis 12 (6 Innings)

The Judges bats exploded in the nightcap, scoring 12 times in six innings on 16 hits, including three home runs. Brandeis scored runs five of their six at bats, with four two-run innings and a four-run sixth to close out the game as the light diminished.

Trailing 2-0, Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire)'s single to right field brought home Snyder, making the score 2-1.

In the top of the fourth, Jessica Flohr (Foster City, Calif./Crystal Springs Uplands School) scored on Lydia DeAngelo (Portsmouth, R.I./Moses Brown School)'s single and Brittney Blokker (Seattle, Wash./Ballard)'s double down the left field line scored DeAngelo as the Pioneers stayed in the game 4-3. Another Kushner RBI in the sevent made the score 8-4, but the Judges put the game away with their six run sixth inning.

Sophomore Rowan Turner (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) (3-9) took the loss, giving up 10 of the 12 runs and 12 of the 16 hits.

The Pioneers (10-18) will host Wheaton College for a NEWMAC doubleheader Friday at 3 p.m.

(Portions of this recap courtesy to Brandeis Athletics)