BABSON PARK, Mass.—Babson College got strong pitching performances from graduate students Moira O'Reilly (Columbus, Ohio) and Cameron Whiteford (Centerville, Md.) and swept visiting Emerson College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field.

The Beavers pulled away for a 7-1 victory in the opener and followed it up by defeating the Lions, 3-1, in game two. 

Babson, which won three of four games over the weekend, improves to 18-9 overall and 9-5 in conference play. Emerson dropped three of its four outings over the weekend to slip to 15-11 overall and 7-5 in the NEWMAC. 

Game 1: Babson 7, Emerson 1
O'Reilly struck out three and allowed just one run on three hits in a complete-game effort to improve to 6-3 in the circle. Sophomore Emily Walsh (Flemington, N.J.) singled three times, senior Sara Moore (Kennett Square, Pa.) went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored, and first-year Kay LaLiberty (Lowell, Mass.) singled and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Beavers' 10-hit attack. 

The Green and White got a two-out RBI single from first-year Maddy DeLong (Cranford, N.J.) in the bottom of the second and took the lead for good in the fourth when sophomore Charlotte Raymond (Wrentham, Mass.) scored on an RBI ground out by LaLiberty. O'Reilly worked around a lead-off walk in the top of the fifth and Babson busted the game open with four runs in the bottom of the frame. 

Moore led off with a single, stole second and came around to score on a double to center by senior Athena Hadjipanayis (Rye, N.Y.) to make it 3-1. Junior Sophia Pak (New Rochelle, N.Y.) followed with an RBI ground out two batters later, first-year Belle DiCampello (Pottstown, Pa.) reached on a bunt single and later scored on an error, and LaLiberty capped the rally with a two-out single to right for a  6-1 advantage. 

O'Reilly retired the side in order in the top of the six and the Beavers tacked on another insurance run in the bottom of the inning when Moore raced home from third on DiCampello's sacrifice fly. 

Sophomore Caleigh Sheehan (Bolton, Conn.) allowed five earned runs on nine hits while striking out five over 4.2 innings to drop to 10-4 on the year for the Lions. 

Game 2: Babson 3, Emerson 1
Whiteford struck out four and allowed just one unearned run on five hits over 7.0 innings to improve to 8-5 with the win for the Beavers. Hadjipanayis was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, DiCampello singled and drove in a run, and Moore was 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored in the victory. 

Senior Jessica Gomez (West Chester, Pa.) went 2-for-3 at the plate and tossed a complete game in the circle allowing three runs on eight hits to go along with one strikeout. She dropped to 4-5 on the year with the loss. 

Babson recorded four of its eight hits in the bottom of the first inning and took a 1-0 lead when Moore scored on DiCampello's ground out to second. The hosts added to their cushion in the second as senior Devin McCall (Virginia Beach, Va.) and LaLiberty started the frame with back-to-back infield singles and Hadjipanayis came through with a two-out, two-run double to make it 3-0. 

Whiteford cruised through the first four innings giving up just a pair of infield singles before Emerson got on the board in the fifth when sophomore Izzi Shaffer (Tyngsborough, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and late scored on a two-out error to cut its deficit to 3-1. The Lions would get no closer though, as Whiteford worked around a two-out infield single in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh. 

Both teams return to action on Tuesday as Babson travels to Tufts for a single game at 4 p.m., while Emerson hosts Coast Guard in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are now 19-5 all-time against Emerson and recorded their first doubleheader sweep of the Lions since 2022 on Saturday. 
•    Babson is 12-1 this season when allowing two runs or fewer. 
•    The Green and White is now 6-5 this spring in games decided by one or two runs. 
•    The Beavers' pitching staff has given up two earned runs or fewer in 12 of the last 14 games going back to April 4.