College softball highlight: WPI centerfielder saves win over Wellesley College
I happened to be passing by the Wellesley College-WPI softball game on Saturday afternoon when I stopped to check out the action since I’d never watched a game at Wellesley’s home field. I could see the bases were loaded but had no other context for the game situation other than that a crowd of bundled up fans were watching intently under a mostly gloomy sky.
The first pitch I saw thrown was smacked by the Wellesley College batter to center field for what looked like might be a bases-clearing extra base hit. But the WPI Engineers’ outfielder raced back, at first facing toward right field, then twisted and reached back facing the other way to snag the ball in her glove. I snapped a couple of pics on my iPhone.
Celebration ensued for the red-and-white uniformed visiting team, as the announcer revealed the game had ended by a 2-1 score in WPI’s favor.
Happened by @WellesleySball @WPISoftball game & saw the WPI center fielder Sydney Russell make a great catch to end and save the game 2-1 https://t.co/V7WZon0PDN pic.twitter.com/zm6m6vV5mD
— swellesley (@swellesley) April 13, 2024
I checked the box score when I got home to learn the center fielder’s name is Sydney Russell, a senior wearing #67 who graduated from Yorktown High School in Arlington, Va.—the same school that my niece and nephew graduated from not so long ago.
Wellesley flipped the score, 2-1 for an extra inning victory in the second game of what was a doubleheader vs. WPI.
