Hamilton College received a strong pitching effort from Megan Coughlin '09 in Game 1, and its offense came alive for 16 hits in Game 2, as the visiting Continentals swept a doubleheader against SUNY Cobleskill at Fighting Tiger Field on March 31.
Coughlin pitched all seven innings in Hamilton's 7-2 win in the opener. She struck out eight and allowed just two runs on four hits to lead the Buff & Blue to their first win of the season.
Amber O'Connor '09 homered, singled, and brought in two runs for Hamilton (2-10 overall). Amanda Nardi '11 had two hits and scored three runs. Robin Brown '09 drove in two runs, and Kathryn Kroleski '09 went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
O'Connor got Hamilton on the right track in the top of the first as she boomed a solo home run for a 1-0 lead. Nardi crossed the plate next for the Continentals in the top of the second on a Brown single. Cobleskill sliced its deficit to 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning, and kept the game close until a two-run fourth inning for the visitors. Hamilton put some security runs on the board with a three-run sixth.
Hamilton's bats were hot in the nightcap, firing off a season-high 16 hits for a 16-6 win. O'Connor hit another home run and also doubled to bring in five runs. Leigh Sherrow '11 went 3-for-5 with two doubles, four RBI and scored twice. Brown singled twice and drove in three runs, while Rachel Rapoza '10 and Liz Reid '11 had two hits apiece. Rapoza added one RBI.
Mandy Hyne '11 picked up the win in the circle for Hamilton. Hyne struck out six and allowed five runs on six hits in her four innings. Coughlin pitched the final inning in relief.
After a scoreless first inning, Hamilton recorded a four-run second inning when Sherrow and O'Connor each hit a two-run double. Sherrow brought in two more runs with another double in the third for a 6-0 lead. Cobleskill got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the frame, but the Continentals scored two more in the fourth and exploded for eight runs in the fifth. O'Connor batted third and knocked out a home run with two runners on base to start the fifth-inning onslaught.
The hosts mustered just one run in the bottom of the fifth and the game was stopped due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Hamilton travels to Amherst College to begin New England Small College Athletic Conference West Division play on Saturday, April 4. Due to poor weather predicted for this weekend, Saturday's doubleheader will now start at 1 p.m., and Friday's single game has been moved to Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
