Hamilton College scored three runs in the first inning and posted a 4-2 NESCAC West Division victory against the Williams College Ephs at Hamilton's Loop Road Softball/Baseball Complex on Friday evening.

Caitlin Berreitter '20 got it started for Hamilton (7-9, 1-0 NESCAC West) when she was hit by pitch to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Kendall Searcy '20 followed with a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to move Berreitter to second. Emily Fraser '20 smacked the first pitch she saw right back up the middle to score Berreitter, and Fraser took second base on the throw to home plate. The Williams right fielder then missed the fly ball when Helen Lin '19 hit a shot to the warning track, resulting in Hamilton's second run of the inning and Lin advancing to third. Two batters later, Lin scored when Sophia Cerreta '20 hit a line drive up the middle.

Claire O'Brien '21 sat down three consecutive Ephs in the top of the second inning. Cerreta took care of the first out when she ran down a foul ball to right field, O'Brien took the second out for herself when she struck out Casey Pelz swinging, and Searcy called off Jodi Weiss '19 at the last second to grab a fly ball down the left field line for the third out.

Williams (13-4, 0-1) -- ranked 14th by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll -- scored one run in the fourth inning to make the score 3-1 when Kirstin Mapes hit a one-out triple to center field, and Margo Beck immediately followed with a run-scoring single down the left field line. Hamilton's Berreitter kept Beck stranded on first when she snagged a line drive and caught a pop up back to the pitching circle.

The Ephs scored their second run in the fifth inning off a walk and then an RBI double by Jessica Kim. Rebecca Duncan then put Ephs on the corners with a blooper to center field before Zoe Singer '18 came out of the bullpen in relief of O'Brien. Hamilton's heads-up defense maintained its one-run lead. Catcher Ashleah Yzaguirre '19 threw down to third base to pick off Kim and with nowhere to go Kim was tagged out in a rundown. Williams' Mackenzie Murphy followed with a single to the left side of the infield and with no play at first base, Berreitter turned back to third and threw the ball to Searcy who applied a diving tag to the Ephs runner rounding the base.

Hamilton added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Lin started the inning with a line drive single and Singer put down the sacrifice bunt to move Lin to second. Cerreta reached on a fielder's choice when the Ephs chose not to throw her out at first, setting up a force-out situation at every base. Lin then scored Hamilton's final run when Weiss hit a single through the infield.

Williams left two runners stranded in the top of the seventh inning as Weiss caught a fly ball in left field for the first out and Berreitter gobbled up back-to-back grounders and stepped on third base for the second and third outs to end the game.  

Five different Continentals took credit for Hamilton's five hits. Fraser, Cerreta and Weiss each had one run batted in, and Lin scored two runs. O'Brien tallied four strikeouts through 4.1 innings pitched and allowed five hits, two walks and two runs. Singer pitched 2.2 scoreless innings for the save and gave up three hits and one walk.

Williams finished with eight hits. Kim went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, Beck went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Mapes tripled.

The Continentals and the Ephs will play a doubleheader on Saturday at noon to complete the three-game series.