JOHNSON, Vt. – Johnson State College fell to non-conference opponent Middlebury College 17-0 and then 3-2 during Tuesday's doubleheader. The Badgers end their season 8-19 on the year, 5-11 in NAC play while the Panthers advance to 25-9 overall, 10-2 NESCAC.
GAME 1:
R H E
Middlebury 17 20 1
Johnson 0 2 3
The visiting Panthers wore down the hosts with consistent offensive strength earning two runs in the second, four in the third, six in the fourth and 5 in the fifth to end the game 17-0. Emily Kraytenberg (Londonderry, N.H.) rounded home four times, while Jessa Hoffman (Golden, Colo.) and Christina Bicks (Ridgewood, N.J.) each supplied three runs towards the Panthers' win.
Senior Meagan Russ (Burlington, Vt./ Burlington) and junior Samantha Pothier (Enosburg, Vt. / Enosburg ) tallied the only hits for the Badgers.
Middlebury used the second inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead and never look back. A sacrifice fly by from Bicks advanced Kraytenberg to third base to put her in scoring position. A single on the next play from Sarah Boylan (Danvers, Mass.) put the Panthers on the board 1-0. Boylan made it home off of a single from Alex Scibetta (Ridgewood, N.J.) to end the inning at 2-0.
The top of the fourth saw the Panthers' most impactful inning after a Johnson error opened the door to a triple from Carlyn Vachow (St. Louis, Mo.), plating Jessa Hoffman and Jackie Stern. Another error from the Badgers allowed Kraytenberg to make it to first, scoring Vachow. Bicks doubled advancing Kraytenberg to third. Boylan cracked a ball over the fence bringing the score to 12-0. Middlebury brought home the win scoring five more times in the fifth inning to end the game 17-0.
Senior pitcher Russ was charged with the loss hurling four and a third innings allowing 17 hits and walking two. Neve Stearns (Granby, Conn.) earned the win for the Panthers tossing three innings and allowing just one hit while striking out 4. Kat Maehr (Sayville, N.Y.) relived Stearns throwing for two innings and allowing one hit and striking out one batter.
GAME 2:
R H E
Middlebury 3 11 1
Johnson 2 5 1
Game two was much harder won for the visitors, as they only made it out one run ahead of the Badgers. Freshmen Alex Bean (St. Albans, Vt. / Milton) and Emily Comins (Orleans, Vt. / Lake Region) scored Johnson's two runs while Shannon Grier (Plainfield, Vt. / Twinfield) doubled. For the Panthers, Hoffman, Vachow and Maehr each tallied one.
Both teams went scoreless until the fourth inning when Hoffman scored after Maehr grounded out giving Middlebury the lead 1-0. The Panthers' run went unanswered until the bottom of the sixth, when senior Tanya Randall singled giving Comins the opportunity to round home.
In extra innings, Middlebury scored two runs to lead the Badgers 3-1. During the bottom of the 8th, freshman Katja Langmaid (Enosburg Falls,Vt. / Enosburg) hit a sacrifice fly plating bean making the tally 3-2. Unfortunately, the Badgers were not able to capitalize ending the game 3-2, Panther's advantage.
Freshman pitcher Andrea Williams (Thornburn, Nova Scotia / North Nova) hurled all eight innings allowing 11 hits and walking one while Middlebury's Alexa Lesenskyj (Robbinsville, N.J.) picked up the win allowing just five hits and one walk.
As the Badgers conclude their season, Middlebury will play Bowdoin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 3rd to start the double-elimination NESCAC tournament.