*Courtesy Middlebury Sports Information
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury swept a twin-bill from Johnson State on Sunday, topping the visiting Badgers 6-1 in the opener and 16-0 in a five-inning contest in the second game.
In game one, the Panthers broke a scoreless tie in the third with RBI singles by Emma Katz and Jessica Poracky. Middlebury scored two more in the fifth when Jessa Hoffman tripled in Christina Bicks from second base. Poracky later plated Hoffman on a put-out at first for a 4-0 lead.
Johnson State (4-12) got on the board in the sixth, when Morgan Rogerson (Hardwick, Vt./Hazen) (pictured) hit a two-out double, scoring Maria Gleason (Enosburg Falls, Vt./Enosburg) all the way from first base. In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers used five hits to score two more runs for a 6-1 advantage.
Hoffman went 3-4, including a triple and an RBI, while Katz went 2-4 with a double and two RBI for Middlebury. Poracky finished game one going 2-3 with two RBI, while Kimber Sable, who showed remarkable range in centerfield, also finished 2-3, scoring a pair of runs.
Alexa Lesenskyj earned the win, going the distance for Middlebury, allowing the one earned run over seven innings of work, pushing her record to 4-3 on the season. Meagan Russ (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) took the loss for the Badgers, allowing six earned runs with 12 hits over six innings of work.
Game two saw Middlebury score runs in each frame, eventually holding an 8-0 lead after three innings. Hoffman knocked in two RBI in the first inning with another triple, highlighting the 8-0 run.
The Panthers blew the doors off in the fourth inning, scoring eight runs, doubling their lead to 16-0. Emily Kraytenberg opened the barrage with her third double of the game. Later with one-out and two runners on, Emily Smith plated Kraytenberg. Sable followed with an RBI single. After a throwing error allowed another run to score, Hoffman was plunked by Badger starter Kristy McDonnell (Quechee, Vt./Hartford) to load the bases for Poracky with two outs. Poracky responded with a towering, tape-measure grand-slam blast to dead centerfield for a 15-0 Panther advantage. The ball was so well hit, Johnson's centerfielder Amber McCullock (Morrisville, Vt./Peoples Academy) simply watched it soar out of the park without giving chase. Kraytenberg followed with her fourth double of the game and was eventually knocked home by a single from Hanna Marks for the 16-0 final.
Kraytenberg's fantastic 4-4, four double performance with two RBI and a pair of runs scored was matched only by Poracky's six-RBI, 2-4 day at the plate, including her towering grand slam. A trio of hurlers entered the circle for Middlebury with Elizabeth Morris tossing two seamless opening innings, as Kelsey Martel (2-2) earned the win, pitching two scoreless innings allowing the only two hits of the game, while Marcela Olvera capped the fifth, tossing a three-up, three-down frame to end the game.
McDonnell took the loss for the Badgers, pitching four innings, allowing 13 hits and 16 runs, with seven runs earned.
Johnson will remain play another non-conference double-dip in their next outing when they host Vermont Technical College on Wednesday, April 4 at 3:30 pm.