Carbutt Tallies Hit in Both Ends of DH

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- Visiting Widener University downed host Washington College twice in a non-conference softball doubleheader on Wednesday at the Washington College Softball Field. The Pride (7-3) won game one, 7-0, and rallied to victory in game two, 5-4. The Shorewomen fell to 5-3 with the two losses, snapping their five-game winning streak.

In the opener, Widener took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Shelby Mackintosh singled down the left field line with two outs, plating Caitlin Callahan. The Pride broke the game open with six two-out runs in the top of the fourth to provide the final margin. Steph Connolly hit a grand slam the opposite way to right field to give Widener a 5-0 lead. The Pride added two more runs, both unearned due to a Washington error, on RBI singles by Lauren Brubaker and Astyn DiNorscia.

Widener pitcher Kim Dougherty had a perfect game entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Her quest for perfection came to an end when sophomore Leigh Carbutt (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) doubled down the right field line to leadoff the seventh. Carbutt's ball, which was slicing down the right field line, was almost caught by Jamie Schmucker on a full run, but she could not handle the ball and thus Carbutt tallied the Shorewomen's first and only hit of the game. Dougherty though would get the shutout win as she tossed a one-hitter and walked just one WC batter. She struck out six in the win and improves to 1-2 on the year. For Washington, sophomore hurler Meaghan Kimme (Lumberton, NJ/Holy Cross) took the loss and falls to 2-1. She fanned five, gave up 10 hits and seven runs, but only four of them were earned.

Callahan and Connolly each had two hits for the Pride in the opener, with Connolly plating four runs. Callahan scored two runs to lead all players. Widener pounded out 10 hits in the first game.

In the finale, the Shorewomen scored two runs in each of the first two frames to take a quick 4-0 lead, taking advantage of three Widener errors. Sophomore Jordan Tryhubenko (Cockeysville, MD/Dulaney) put WC on the board in the bottom of the first when she scored on a Widener fielding error. Sophomore Sally Snover (Charlotte, NC/Myers Park) gave the hosts a 2-0 lead when she scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of freshman Shaelan Nottingham (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur). In the bottom of the second, Carbutt knocked in freshman pitcher Brittany Walter (Forest Hill, MD/C. Milton Wright) on a single through the left side to put the Shorewomen up 3-0. Carbutt would score on a squeeze play off the bat of Snover to make it 4-0.

Widener would rally with four runs with two away in the top of the sixth on back-to-back two-base hits. Schmucker doubled to left-center to cut it to 4-2 and the next batter Meg Phillips also doubled to left-center to knot the score at 4-4. In the top of the seventh with two outs, the Pride would score the game-winning run on a flare shot to shallow centerfield off the bat of Brubaker. Carbutt made a diving effort to catch the ball, but the ball popped out of her glove when she landed, allowing Dougherty to score the deciding run. Washington went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the seventh and the guests came away with the sweep.

At the plate for the Pride in the nightcap, Dougherty, Phillips and Shultz each had two hits, with Phillips and Schmucker each knocking in two runs. Widener, who scored all 12 of its runs with two out, had 10 hits in the second game. For the Shorewomen, Carbutt and Snover each went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

In the circle, Shultz chalks up the victory for the Pride and improves to 4-1 on the season. She scattered four hits and allowed zero earned runs in tossing a complete game. For the Shorewomen, Walter took the loss and falls to 2-2 on the season. She struck out five Widener batters in the contest.

The Shorewomen return to action Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. Centennial Conference twinbill at Franklin & Marshall. It is the conference opener for the Shorewomen Nine.