Williams took advantage of some first-inning miscues from Middlebury on Friday, as the Ephs opened the key three-game series for the NESCAC West Division title with a 4-3 win at Cole Field. The teams started game two, but it was suspended after three innings with Williams leading 3-2. They are scheduled to resume the game at noon Saturday and play the third immediately following.

Middlebury (17-11, 7-3) struck first Friday when Jackie Stern drew a one-out walk from Williams' starter Emma Harrington in the top of the first, and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Hye-Jin Kim hit a grounder deep into the shortstop hole and Stern kept running as the throw went to first, scoring from second for a 1-0 lead.

But the Ephs (21-6, 9-1) answered quickly off Panther starter Elizabeth Morris. Alison Michalik led off and laid down a perfect bunt for a single. Erica Li and Kacey Cramer were both hit by pitches to load the bases with no outs. Ali Graebner grounded a two-run single into right field for a 2-1 Williams lead, taking second on the throw home while Cramer advanced to third.

Mo Frank followed with a squeeze bunt, but was safe on the play as the throw from home hit her in the shoulder and bounded down the right-field line and into foul territory. Both Cramer and Graebner scored on the play for a 4-1 lead.

The Panthers fought back quickly when Carlyn Vachow led off the second with a single. After an out, Alex Scibetta singled up the middle. One batter later, Kimber Sable rocketed a shot to deep left that went for a two-run double and made it a 4-3 ballgame.

Harrington and Morris settled in after that and it remained 4-3 as Harrington retired 10-consecutive Panthers. However, Emily Kraytenberg led off the sixth with a single to snap that streak. After Kim struck out looking, Sarah Freyre walked. Vachow flied out to center field, but Kelsey Martel won a 10-pitch battle with Harrington by lining a single to left. The ball was hit so hard that Kraytenberg had to stop at third. During the next at-bat, Harrington won a battle with Scibetta by getting her to pop up to Cramer for the final out.

The Panthers went down 1-2-3 in the seventh as Harrington improved to 11-3. She allowed six hits over seven innings, walking two and striking out five. Morris (6-3) was the hard-luck loser, allowing only four hits over six frames. She walked two and struck out 10, her second-straight double-digit strikeout performance.  

Michalik was the only batter to get multiple hits in the game for either team, going 2-4 with a run scored.