WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Hamilton College's
Samantha Smith '23 blasted a two-run, game-winning homer in the bottom of the seventh against Hope College and the Continentals split a pair of non-conference games at DiamondPlex on Monday.
Hamilton (7-5 overall) picked up a 5-4 win against Hope before the Continentals dropped a 5-1 decision against University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Hamilton is back in action on Saturday, March 25 at Loop Road Athletic Complex for its home opener against NESCAC foe Bowdoin College at noon.
Hope
How It Happened
- Hope's Grace Henry gave the Flying Dutch a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning with a homer over the fence in left center.
- Charlie Quinn '25 led off the bottom of the inning with a double to left. With a full count and one out, Smith hit a two-run shot over the left field fence for the walk-off win.
- Hope took a 2-0 lead in the third on a two-run shot by Cayley Ebeling.
- Hamilton opened its scoring in the bottom of the fourth with three runs on two hits. With one out Natalie Beebe '24 reached base on a muffed throw and Ella Heftved '25 drew a walk. Jordan Merklin '26 entered as a pinch runner and Quinn roped a single up the middle that drove in Merklin and Heftved. Quinn scored on an Alexis Mayer '26 double to left.
- The Flying Dutch knotted the score in the fifth with a run on two hits.
Notes
- Quinn went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs.
- Smith hit her first home run of the season and the second of her career.
- Beebe picked up her second win in the circle with two strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief. She allowed just the solo homer in the seventh.
- Cayley Ebeling led Hope at the plate with two doubles and the home run. She plated three of the team's four runs.
- Henry homered, walked and scored twice.
- Hope's pitching combined for five strikeouts and three earned runs.
- Hope, a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), moved to 5-5 overall.
Wisconsin-Eau Claire
How It Happened
- The Continentals scored their lone run in the top half of the third on two hits and an error. Alessandra Priante '24 singled to right field and Sofia Santana '26 ripped a single down the first base line and advanced to second on a throwing error. Quinn hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Priante.
- The Blugolds exploded for four runs in the fourth on two hits, a walk and an infield throwing error.
- UW-EC added one more run in the sixth on two hits and three Hamilton errors.
Notes
- Santana led Hamilton with two singles.
- Quinn singled and Smith doubled.
- Megan Maruna, Kenna Strunsee and Haley Lamberson collected two hits each for the Blugolds.
- Kaitlyn Madole drove in two runs.
- Lauren Gamme pitched a complete game with three strikeouts. Gamme allowed one unearned run on five hits.
- UW-EC, a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), improved to 7-5 overall.