WELLESLEY, Mass.—Visiting Babson College scored twice in the top of the seventh to win game one 3-2 and Wellesley College returned the favor with two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap as the teams split a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball doubleheader on Friday afternoon at the Wellesley Softball Field. 

Babson, which has split its last six games, is now 16-9 overall and 7-5 in conference play. Wellesley has split its last five league doubleheaders and is 12-11-1 overall and 7-5 in the NEWMAC. 

Game 1: Babson 3, Wellesley 2
Graduate student Moira O'Reilly (Columbus, Ohio) struck out six and gave up just one earned run in a complete-game effort to improve to 5-3, and sophomore Charlotte Raymond (Wrentham, Mass.) hit a two-run homer for the Beavers, who recorded just three hits over the first six innings. Junior Sophia Pak (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and first-year Emily Walsh (Flemington, N.J.) both singled and scored in the victory. 

Senior Charis Chung (San Gabriel, Calif.) and first-year Brynne Mellady (Ellicott City, Md.) both singled and drove in a run, while junior Emeline Gaunce (Los Altos, Calif.) doubled for the Blue, which had just four hits. Sophomore Sarah Wicker (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) dropped to 5-5 on the year with the loss after giving up two earned runs on five hits and five walks to go along with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

The Green and White stranded five on base over the first three frames before taking advantage of a two-out error to push across the first run of the game in the fourth. Wellesley responded in the bottom of the inning as Gaunce stroked a two-out double to right center and scored on Mellady's base hit to center, and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth thanks to a two-out RBI knock by Chung. 

The Beavers left the potential tying run at third in the sixth before going back in front in the seventh as Pak reached on a one-out single and Raymond followed with a two-run blast to left center. O'Reilly, who retired the final seven batters she faced, got a pair of pop-ups and a fly ball to right for the final three outs. 

Game 2: Wellesley 3, Babson 2
Pak singled and walked twice, first-years Maddy DeLong (Cranford, N.J.) and Belle DiCampello (Pottstown, Pa.) each scored a run, and sophomore Devin McCall (Virginia Beach, Va.) had an RBI for the Beavers. Graduate student Cameron Whiteford (Centerville, Md.) allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out three and walking two to drop to 7-5 with the loss in the circle. 

Sophomore Giana Jones (Fairfield, Calif.) singled twice and drove in a run, while senior Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) improved to 6-2 with a shutout inning in relief of sophomore Jill Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.), who gave up just one earned run on four hits and five walks over 6.0 innings. 

Babson went ahead 1-0 in the top of the second as DeLong singled with two outs, moved to second on a fielder's choice and then scored on an error. The Blue tied things up in the fourth though, as Mellady drew a one-out walk, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and came home on Jones' two-out single to center. 

Colgan escaped a jam thanks to a line drive double play with the bases loaded in the fifth, but wasn't as fortunate in the sixth as Babson used two walks and a single by Walsh to load the bases before McCall brought home DiCampello with an RBI ground out for a 2-1 lead. Whiteford recorded a pair of ground outs around a single by junior Andrea Delgado (Miami, Fla.) in the bottom of the seventh, but Chung singled to center to the tie the game and advanced to second on the throw home, which was followed by Colgan's base hit to center to bring home Chung with the winning run. 

Both teams conclude the weekend with doubleheaders starting at 12 p.m. on Saturday as Babson hosts Emerson, while Wellesley travels to MIT. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 30-18 all-time against Wellesley and the teams split their regular season doubleheader for the first time since 2019. 
•    Babson is now 14-1 this season when scoring at least three runs. 
•    The Green and White is 5-4 on the year in one-run games. 
•    With a single in both games on Friday, Pak has now has at least one hit in 16 of the last 18 games.