For all NESCAC spring sports, this weekend marked the end of regular season play, the beginning of the playoffs, or the crowning of a tournament champion. In lacrosse, baseball and softball, four teams are left standing, while this weekend featured the NESCAC tournament in men's and women's tennis. Here's a quick look at the results:
Men's Lacrosse: Perennial champion Middlebury, the five-time defending title holder, earned the top seed and a first round bye in this year's playoffs. In first round play, No. 4 Tufts defeated No. 5 Bates 13-8; No. 2 Wesleyan beat No.7 Williams 12-5; and No.6 Amherst fell to No.3 Bowdoin 12-8. Tufts will travel to Vermont to take on No.1 Middlebury next Saturday, and Bowdoin will take on Wesleyan.
Women's Lacrosse: In first round action on Sunday, No.2 Amherst won against No. 7 Wesleyan in convincing fashion, 17-8. No.6 Williams defeated No.3 Colby 17-11. No.5 Tufts fell to No.4 Bowdoin 14-7. Williams will face No.1 Middlebury next Saturday, while Bowdoin faces off against Amherst.
Women's Tennis: The numbers shook out according to seed, as No. 1 Amherst beat No.2 Williams yesterday in the finals of the NESCAC tournament, 6-3. The Lord Jeffs, ranked third nationally, earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament with the title, while No. 8 Williams awaits a probable at-large bid.
Men's Tennis: Top-seeded Middlebury won its third straight NESCAC crown with a 4-3 win over second-seed Williams on Sunday afternoon. The title came down to the winner of the top-ranked singles match between Middlebury senior Brian Waldron and Williams sophomore Dan Greenberg. The two split the first two games, with Waldron winning the first 6-3 and Greenberg taking the second 7-5. Waldron prevailed easily in the third game, though, winning 6-1 and giving Middlebury another title.
Softball: Williams completed a perfect 8-0 season in the NESCAC West, finishing a two-game sweep at Amherst to earn hosting rights for next weekend's NESCAC Tournament. Despite the loss, Amherst clinched second place in the West, earning a berth in the double-elimination tournament and an opening-game matchup with Tufts. Tufts split with last-place Colby on Saturday to finish 7-1, but had long since clinched the top spot in the East. The final tournament berth was up for grabs in a series between Bates and Trinity. The Bantams got the job done, sweeping Bates to earn a tie in the standings, and earned a trip to Williams by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Baseball: Bowdoin locked up the top spot in the NESCAC East with a sweep of Bates, securing hosting rights and relegating Tufts to the No. 2 seed. In the NESCAC West, Williams scratched out a win in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Wesleyan in 11 innings, allowing Williams to claim sole possession of first place with a 9-3 record. Although the East division has wrapped up its schedule, the West will be waiting on Friday's Middlebury-Wesleyan game. If Middlebury wins the game, it will be tied for first place with Williams; but if Wesleyan emerges victorious, then Williams will be the unopposed league leader, followed by Amherst and Middlebury.
