Meg Johnson Homers Twice To Lead Bulldogs To 4-2 Win In Second Game

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The long ball helped the Yale softball team earn a split of an Ivy League doubleheader with Brown. Meg Johnson homered twice and Kelsey Warkentine added a solo blast to lead the Bulldogs to a 4-2 victory in the second game. Stephanie Thompson's grand slam powered Brown to 6-5 win in the first game.

Ashley Sloan had three hits on the afternoon for Yale and now has 188 in her career, which ties her with Kathy Ching for the most in school history.

Johnson got the Bulldogs off to a strong start in the second game by belting a two-run homer in the first inning. It followed Sloan's bunt single.

Brown (19-21, 6-12 Ivy) pulled to within 2-1 with a run in the fourth, but Johnson hit her second homer of the game leading off the sixth inning.

After the Bears scored in the bottom of the sixth, Warkentine hit her second home run of the season in the seventh to give Yale some breathing room.

Kayla Kuretich pitched a complete game to earn her fifth win of the season. Things got a little hairy in the bottom of the seventh for Kuretich, though. Brown loaded the bases with one out, but Thompson popped up to the pitcher and Alyssa Caplan grounded out to end the game.

The Bulldogs (10-27, 5-13) outhit Brown 7-6. Katie Yanagisawa, Allie Canulli and Jennifer Ong also had hits.

Yale nearly pulled off a big comeback in the first game. Trailing 6-2, the Bulldogs erupted for three runs in the seventh and had the tying run in scoring position. Liz Tutino was hit by a pitch to start the rally. With two outs, Lexi Peacock and Yanagisawa walked to load the bases. Sloan then singled and a misplay in left field allowed all three runners to score. Brown pitcher Kristie Chin, though, retired the next hitter to end the game.

Yale had taken an early lead by scoring twice in the fourth. Singles by Yanagisawa, Sloan and Canulli loaded the bases. Johnson knocked home the first run with a single, and Lauren Huddleston capped the rally with an RBI single.

Brown, though, scored once in the bottom of the fourth, four times in fifth and once in the sixth.

Holly Gutterud went 5.1 innings in the circle and had three strikeouts for the Bulldogs. Jackie Manzer came on in relief and struck out the only two batters she faced.

The same two teams will play a doubleheader at Dewitt Family Field on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. Yale's five seniors – Canulli, Guttrerud, Huddleston, Kuretich and Sloan – will be honored prior to the first pitch.

Report filed by Tim Bennett, Yale Sports Publicity