The Middlebury softball team had its nine-game winning streak come to an end as Williams earned a 4-3 walk-off win over the Panthers in game one of a three-game NESCAC West series Friday in Massachusetts. Middlebury (20-9, 4-5) returns to the field for a doubleheader on Saturday against the 23rd-ranked Ephs (27-8, 8-2) at 12:00 p.m.

The Ephs used the long ball to open the scoring in the second inning, when Mackenzie Murphy hit a solo home run for a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Williams doubled its lead with its second homer of the game, this one off of the bat of Lexi Curt.

Middlebury broke through for a run in the top of the fourth inning, cutting the difference in half. Carlyn Vachow led off with a single and move to second with a stolen base. After a ground out, she scored on a base hit to right by Hye-Jin Kim.

An unearned run in the bottom of the fourth increased the lead to 3-1 for the Ephs, while their defense protected that margin a half inning later. In the top of the fifth,  Jackie Stern got hit by a pitch and stole second, but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a hit to left field by Emma Hamilton. Hamilton's single extended her hitting streak to 18 games.

The Panthers knotted the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth when Sarah Freyre came off the bench and delivered a two-run pinch-hit homer, which was her fourth of the spring and second in as many games. Ande Troutman also scored on the play, as she entered the game as a pinch runner following a double by Erin Giles.

In the seventh, Middlebury got a runner into scoring position on a double by Siobhan O'Sullivan, but Murphy prevented the Panther runner from advancing by recording the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Allison Michalik led off with a walk and moved to third on a two-base throwing error by the Panthers. After two more walks loaded the bases, Kacey Cramer singled through the left side to score Michalik with the winning run.

Giles went 2-3 with a double for Middlebury, while Hamilton was 1-2 and walked twice.

In the circle, Allison Quigley (9-2) took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits in 3.1 innings. Neve Stearns started the game and went three innings, giving up five hits and two runs with a pair of strikeouts.    

Cramer and Murphy each went 2-3 for Williams, while Murphy (11-3) also earned the victory with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Starting pitcher Brooke Bovier tossed 5.2 innings and gave up all three runs on six hits.