BABSON PARK, Mass. - Sophomore Katelyn Knox (Great Falls, Va.)
drove in the game's only run in the bottom of the second and junior
pitcher Clara Hard (Seattle, Wash.) hurled a four-hit shutout to
lead Williams College to a 1-0 victory over Keene State College in
game seven of the 2005 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament New
England Regional at Babson College on Saturday afternoon. With the
win, Williams (27-12) advances to the championship game on Sunday
at 11 a.m., while Keene State will play Endicott College at 9 a.m
on Sunday. (NOTE: Sunday's original starting times of 12 p.m. and 2
p.m. have been changed to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. due to weather
concerns.)
Game seven was a magnificent pitchers' duel between Hard and
Keene State senior Meghan McLoughlin (Brattleboro, Vt.). Williams
plated the only run of the contest in the bottom of the second, as
McLoughlin hit junior Christine Williams (Clifton Park, N.Y.) on a
1-2 pitch with one out. Knox then followed with a double into the
right-centerfield gap, scoring Williams all the way from first.
That would be the only blemish for McLoughlin (14-4) in the
contest, as she allowed one run on six hits and three walks while
striking out seven in six innings. However, Hard was even better
for Williams, giving up no runs on four hits, two walks, and a
hit-batsman while fanning seven. She allowed a one-out double by
junior Sarah Campbell (Auburn, Mass.) in the third, back-to-back
singles by first-year Kaity Conklin (Selkirk, N.Y.) and sophomore
Kari Gardner (Grafton, Mass.) after two were out in the fourth, and
a leadoff single by Gardner in the seventh. Gardner took second on
an outfield error during the latter play, and got as far as third
when first-year Julia May (Deep River, Conn.) grounded to third for
the inning's second out. Hard then got junior Amanda Foote (Hudson,
N.H.) to foul out to the left side, where third baseman Williams
made a great sliding catch to end the game.
Gardner and Williams junior Alana Frost (Oakland, Calif.) were
the only players in the game with multiple hits, as Gardner went
2-for-2 and Frost finished 2-for-3.
(Courtesy Babson Sports Information)
