BABSON PARK, Mass.— Graduate student Moira O'Reilly (Columbus, Ohio) and sophomore Katie Vlacich (Concord, N.H.) combined on a three-hit shutout as Babson College split a doubleheader with Springfield College in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) softball action in the home opener at Alumni Field.

The Beavers registered a 4-0 victory in the opener behind O'Reilly and Vlacich, but the Pride came back to win game two, 4-2.

With the split, the Beavers move to 10-5 overall and 2-2 in the NEWMAC while Springfield is now 11-7 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Seven of the 11 teams in the NEWMAC are at the .500 mark in league games this season.

Game 1 – Babson 4, Springfield 0

O'Reilly scattered three hits and a walk over six innings while striking out seven. Vlacich finished out the game with a scoreless seventh inning to secure the win.

Junior Sophia Pak (New Rochelle, N.Y.) went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Beavers, senior Sara Moore (Kennett Square, Pa.) had two hits and a run scored, and first-year Belle DiCampello (Pottstown, Pa.) and sophomore Devin McCall (Virginia Beach, Va.) each knocked in a run in the win.

First-year Brynlee Eckles (Ellington, Conn.), graduate student Michaela Ponticello (Gloversville, N.Y.) and Kate Katsetos (Brewster, N.Y.) managed the only hits for the Pride. Junior Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) went the distance in the circle and took the loss.

The Beavers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Pak led off with a single to left and sophomore Charlotte Raymond (Wrentham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch. Pak came around to score on infield grounders by graduate student Cameron Whiteford (Centerville, Md.) and McCall.

The Green and White opened up a comfortable lead with three runs in the bottom of the third. Moore and senior Athena Hadjipanayis (Rye, N.Y.) reached with one-out singles, and Hadjipanayis stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Moore raced home on a ground out and Hadjipanayis scored on an RBI single to left by Pak, who later scored on a wild pitch.

Babson put two runners on base in the fifth inning but left them stranded, and Springfield did the same in the top of the sixth. The pitchers held the offenses at bay the rest of the way.

Game 2 –Springfield 4, Babson 2

Sophomore Emily Walsh (Flemington, N.J.) reached base three times for the Beavers on a pair of walks and a single, one of six players who combined for Babson's six hits. Moore and Hadjipanayis both singled and scored the two Beaver runs. Whiteford finished with a complete-game effort in the circle but took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits in 7.0 innings, striking out five.

Ponticello had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs for the Pride. Graduate students Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.) and Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) also had two hits each, with Puskas hitting a double and scoring twice. First-year Lily McCauliffe (Greenwich, N.Y.) earned her first career victory, giving up two unearned runs on six hits and three walks while fanning four.

Babson took an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. After loading the bases with no outs, thanks to an infielder error, a Hadjipanayis single and a walk to first-year Belle DiCampello (Pottstown, Pa.), both runs came home on an MIT throwing error on an infield grounder.

Springfield threatened in the third inning with a runner at third base, but Babson got a terrific play at shortstop by first-year Maddy DeLong (Cranford, N.J.), who threw out the batter at first to end the inning. The Pride bounced back to tie the game in the fourth inning with a pair of unearned runs. Gendron and Puskas sparked the rally with singles, and one run came home after a single by Ponticello.

The Pride pulled ahead with two runs in the sixth inning. After Santiago led off with a walk, Puskas double to left to put two runners in scoring position, and Ponticello ripped a double to left center to bring both runners in.

The Beavers made a comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh with singles by Walsh, DeLong and Moore, but couldn't push any runs across the plate.

Babson will be back on the diamond on Sunday with a NEWMAC doubleheader at MIT, beginning at 2 p.m. Springfield is slated to play a conference twin bill at Wellesley on Saturday at 12 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• Babson is now 33-41 all-time against Springfield in a series that dates back to 1999.
• With her four hits on the day, Pak extended her hitting streak to eight games and her on-base streak to 12 games.
• The Beavers are 5-0 this spring and 29-2 going back to last season when allowing two runs or fewer.