WATERVILLE – Center fielder Hillary Smyth threw out the potential winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Clare Ronan doubled home the go-ahead run in the 10th as Bowdoin escaped with a 5-4 softball win Friday over Colby.
Colby trailed for much of the game but rallied in the bottom of the seventh.
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With Bowdoin holding a 4-2 lead, Jen Goldman and Christine Gillespie each drew a walk to put two on with two outs. Barbara Santos then lined a shot off third baseman Molly Nestor. The ball caromed toward second base, and pinch-runner Lindsay Peterson scampered home to make it 4-3.
Bowdoin Coach Ryan Sullivan turned to reliever Michelle Wells to get the last out, but Alyssa Lepore delivered a single up the middle. Gillespie scored easily from third, and Santos never hesitated in rounding third. Smyth’s throw was in time, and Santos was out.
“That kid made a great throw,” said Colby Coach Kristina Katori said. “She has to make a great throw on that play. A little off to the left or right, and Santos scores and we win. We have to be aggressive to score some runs.”
Colby dropped to 6-14 overall and 0-4 in NESCAC East, but Katori said her team is close to turning the corner.
“It’s the best that we’ve played collectively as a team,” Katori said. “To go 10 innings with a team like Bowdoin, who’s had a great year, we showed some things that were great. We had some key hits in key spots, and we played well defensively.”
Kara Nilan, who entered the day with a streak of 21 scoreless innings, pitched the final two innings for Bowdoin (21-9, 2-2).
Starting with the 10th inning, each half-inning began with a runner on second base. Ronan led off the top of the 10th and launched a 2-0 pitch off the center-field fence, and Shavanne Lord scored to give Bowdoin a 5-4 lead.
“Clare’s a senior, and over the course of 31/2 seasons now, she has proven herself to be a clutch hitter,” Sullivan said
“Other players, we might have them sacrifice bunt, but with Clare, we’re going to let her swing.”
BASEBALL
BOWDOIN 7, COLBY 5: Brett Gorman hit a game-tying home run and Dan Hicks singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Polar Bears (20-5, 3-1 NESCAC East) beat the White Mules (9-10, 0-7) in Waterville.
Nick Ruocco had a two-run single and Brendan Gallagher tripled home two runs for Colby.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
ST. JOSEPH’S 19, RIVIER 8: Alyssa Marchant scored five goals, and Lauren Hagerman had three goals, three assists and five groundballs to lead the Monks (9-1-1, 6-1 GNAC) past the Raiders (3-7, 2-4) at Nashua, N.H.
Marchant scored four of her goals in the first 8:18 as St. Joseph’s opened a 9-1 lead.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
ALL-STAR GAME: Colby forward Adam Choice and St. Joseph’s forward Ray Eatmon were selected to participate in the New England Basketball Coaches Association Division III Senior All-Star Game on Sunday in Wellesley, Mass.
Choice finished his career with 1,534 points and 654 rebounds. Eatmon had 1,008 points and 788 rebounds.
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