Sporting News CT – SNCTTV

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team played 13 thrilling innings and finally defeated the Panthers of Adelphi in dramatic fashion, 2-1, at UNH in the second round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament. Freshman Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) singled in junior Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) from third base, propelling the Owls to the tournament finals. SCSU improved to 39-11 on the season.

After falling behind 1-0 early on, the Owls finally got the bats going in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) led off the frame with a triple to leftfield and came around to score on the ensuing play. Freshman Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) lined a single to rightfield, bringing the tying run across the dish.

After the two runs early on, neither team could push a run across the plate. It wasn’t until the 13th inning, when the Owls strung a series of three hits together to produce the game-winner.

Sophomores Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.), Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) and senior Kerry Iacomini (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) combined for 13 innings, only allowing the one run. Iacomini was credited with her 12th win of the campaign.

The Owls return to action tomorrow, May 9 with the final day of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament. SCSU will take on Adelphi/Assumption/AIC at 10 a.m./12 p.m. at UNH.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team opened the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament with a 9-1 victory over the No. 3 seeded LeMoyne Dolphins at the University of New Haven on Friday afternoon. The Owls enforced the mercy rule in the sixth inning, improving to 38-11 on the season. Freshman Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) led the way for SCSU, finishing 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBI, one run scored and a walk.

After two scoreless innings, the Owls got the bats going in the third inning of play. Freshman Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.) led off the frame with a basehit to right field and moved to second on a wild pitch. Downs later advanced to third on a LeMoyne error and came around to score on the ensuing play. Freshman Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.) punched a fly ball to right field, pushing Downs across for a 1-0 lead.

In the next inning, SCSU provided plenty of insurance for starting pitcher Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.), tacking on five runs on four hits and an error. Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.) began the rally with a single to leftfield and came around to score on an RBI double from Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.). After that, Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.) and Kerry Iacomini (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) followed with a walk and a hit, loading the bases for the Owls. Downs continued the rally with an RBI groundout to second base and Julianne Flood (Poughquag, N.Y.) added another run when she reached on an error. Sophomore Jessica Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) closed out the scoring with an RBI single to leftfield for a commanding 6-0 advantage.

Southern added three more runs in the sixth to enforce the mercy rule. All-Northeast-10 Conference selection, Larson, was stellar in the circle once again for the Owls. She pitched a complete game, allowed one run on six hits and struck out two for her 15th win of the season.

The Owls return to action tomorrow, May 8 with the day two of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament. SCSU will take on Adelphi at 1 p.m. at UNH.

HAMDEN, Conn. – Freshman Alex Alba (Sylmar, Calif.) drove in the game-winning run in game two of a conference doubleheader this afternoon as the Quinnipiac University softball team swept Sacred Heart University this afternoon in their final home event of the season. Senior Kelly Wall hit a three-run homer to lead the Bobcats to the 5-4 victory in game two following a 6-2 win in game one. With the wins, Quinnipiac’s overall record improves to 26-22 on the season with a 13-5 record in the Northeast Conference. Sacred Heart drops to 23-26 on the year with a 10-8 record in the NEC with the losses.

The Pioneers jumped on the board first in game one, as senior Adrian Fitzsimon started the day with a solo homerun to right field in the top of the second inning. Fitzsimon’s homer was her sixth of the season and gave Sacred Heart a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.

The Bobcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the second, taking a one-run lead over the Pioneers. Junior Kim Brzezinski (Tinley Park, Ill.) and Wall each reached base on errors before senior Heather Maffeo (Milton, Mass.) came to the plate in the eight-spot. Continuing her offensive surge from yesterday’s doubleheader at Central Connecticut, Maffeo singled to the far left side of the shortstop, and scored Brzezinski and Wall for the 2-1 lead.

Two more runs crossed for Quinnipiac in the bottom of the third inning on another infield single, this time by senior Emily Bellush (Newton, Mass.). Katie Allendorfer (Glenside, Pa.) and Alba reached base in back-to-back at bats with Allendorfer drawing a walk and Alba reaching on an error before Bellush stepped to the plate. The senior singled to the shortstop and scored Allendorfer from third and Alba from second to extend the lead to 4-1 in favor of the Bobcats.

Sacred Heart drove their second run of the game in the top of the fourth inning to cut the lead in half. The first two batters of the inning, Courtney Lee and Jill Timmer, drew consecutive walks to earn runners at first and second. In the following play, Amanda Bradley smacked a single through the right side to bring Lee around to score.

Quinnipiac solidified their lead in the bottom of the fifth, where they scored two more runs to finalize the score at 6-2. Alba opened the inning with yet another single to the shortstop, and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brzezinski. Bellush drove Alba home in the following play with her second single and third RBI of the game. A single by Wall moved Bellush to third in the next play and Bellush scored on the catcher’s unsuccessful throw to catch Wall in a steal attempt. The stolen base was Wall’s third of the season.

Bellush earned the win in game one as she allowed two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) came in for 2.1 innings of relief and allowed just three hits while striking out three.

Wall started her RBI-rally in game two in the bottom of the second inning where the Bobcats took an early 1-0 lead on Sacred Heart. Alba opened the inning with a walk and advanced to second in the next play on a groundout to the pitcher. Wall came to the plate in the seven-spot and singled up the middle to bring Alba around to score.

The Pioneers took the lead in the top of the fourth, tallying their second homerun of the day. With junior Taylor Froelich at second and two outs on the board, Fitzsimon went yard for the second time with a shot to center to take a 2-1 lead. Froelich helped extend the lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning when she hit her fifth homerun of the year over the left field fence.

The Bobcats responded with a homerun of their own in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead over the Pioneers. Maffeo and Bellush reached on consecutive errors to precede Wall coming to the plate with two outs on the board. Always a clutch hitter in such a position, Wall smacked her sixth homerun of the season to left field to score three Quinnipiac runs.

Sacred Heart came back to tie the game in the top of the seventh, opening the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Carley Rudloff capitalized on the scoring threat and singled into left center to score the runner from third to make the score 4-4.

The Bobcats followed suit in the bottom of the seventh keeping their eyes on the sweep. Sophomore Alex Murray (Milford, Mass.) and senior Angela Casella (Oceanside, N.Y.) hit back-to-back singles to start the movement and were followed by Allendorfer who was intentionally walked. Alba came to the plate in the clean-up position and came up with a through the left side to bring Murray in to score from third for the instant 5-4 victory.

Schwartzburg pitched the complete second game for the Bobcats, earning four runs while striking out eight batters. Pioneers’ ace, Jen Russell, earned the loss in both games as she gave up the winning run to Quinnipiac in game two in the relief effort.

The Bobcats return to action next weekend in their final match-up of the regular season. The game is a make-up date from a weather postponement, as the team will travel to Fairleigh Dickinson for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team captured two more victories on Sunday afternoon, as the Owls concluded their regular season by sweeping a doubleheader against Saint Anselm at the South Athletic Field in Manchester, N.H. SCSU claimed game one with a 5-0 decision before defeating the Hawks in game two by the final score of 8-2. With the wins, the Owls moved to 37-11, 25-5 in league play, and clinched the second seed in the upcoming 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament.

Sophomore Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) led the way in game one as she put together one of her best outings of the year in the circle. Larson tossed a complete game shutout, allowed just three hits and struck out four for her 14th win of the campaign. With the performance, she also lowered her ERA to just 2.45 on the season.

Offensively, the Owls manufactured one run in the first inning, but later on put the game out of reach with a four run fifth inning. Senior Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) provided a two-run single, while Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) and Kerry Iacomini (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) also pushed runs across the dish for the Owls.

Game two featured another offensive outburst for the Owls. Southern scored runs in five out of the seven innings, including multiple runs in the second and sixth innings of play. Freshman Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.), Caporossi, Whitley and Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) all collected two hits in the game, while eight different Owls recorded at least one hit on the afternoon. In addition, six players registered an RBI and Downs belted her fifth homerun of the season in the win.

Sophomore Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.) continued her recent successes on the mound, pitching a complete game in the victory. She allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and struck out six for her ninth win of the year.

The Owls return to action on Friday, May 7 with the quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament at the University of New Haven. The time of the game has yet to be determined.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Senior Heather Maffeo (Milton, Mass.) hit her first homerun of the 2010 season leading the Quinnipiac University softball team to a 5-4 victory in game two of a Northeast Conference doubleheader against Central Connecticut State this afternoon. The Bobcats split the doubleheader as they dropped the first game against the Blue Devils, 6-2. Quinnipiac’s record now stands at 24-22 on the year with an 11-5 record in the Northeast Conference. Central Connecticut now posts a 19-27 record in 2010 with a 7-9 record in league action.

The Bobcats opened up the scoring in game one, crossing two unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Freshman Lauren Salgado (Covina, Calif.) got on base in the first at bat of the game, as she bunt singled in the lead off spot. Salgado advanced to second on a ground out in the following play before senior Katie Allendorfer (Glenside, Pa.) reached in the next at bat as she drew her 15th walk of the season. A fielding error by the third baseman scored Salgado unearned in the following play, advancing Allendorfer to second. Senior Emily Bellush (Newton, Mass.) drove Allendorfer around to score two plays later when she singled to center to earn the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.

The Blue Devils scattered their six runs across four different innings in game one, crossing the plate in all but the first and fifth innings. Junior catcher Katherine Knowles and senior outfielder Tiffany Erickson led Central Connecticut in game one as they each tallied two RBI apiece in the victory. Knowles smacked her second homerun of the season in the top of the fifth, while Erickson hit a two-run single in the fourth to lead the offensive contributions for the Blue Devils.

Bellush pitched the complete game for the Bobcats in game one, earning just two of the six runs on seven hits allowed. She also struck out a season-high of seven batters in the match-up in the six innings pitched. Junior Liz Montemurro earned the win for Central Connecticut, allowing six hits and one walk.

Quinnipiac gained an early lead against the Blue Devils in game two, as they crossed four runs in the top of the second inning. Bellush started the offensive rally, singling up the middle to open the stanza. Maffeo followed suit in the next at bat, advancing Bellush to second. A field error on a Kelly Wall (Westport, Conn.) grounder scored Bellush in the following play, earning base runners at first and third with a 1-0 lead. Senior Kim Le Bel (Quincy, Mass.) came up big in the next play, singling up the middle to score both runners to extend their lead to three. Le Bel came around to score an unearned run two plays later to earn a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.

Central Connecticut cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs in the inning. Sophomore Rebecca Mussatti and senior Jaclyn Logan each tallied an RBI in the inning to lead the offensive drive for the Blue Devils.

Maffeo extended the Bobcats’ lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth with her first homerun in her senior season. The solo shot was blasted to left field in the first at bat of the inning to become the winning run for Quinnipiac.

The Blue Devils crossed two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bobcats’ lead. Knowles and freshman Kelsey Barlow drove in the runs in the final inning to finalize the score at 5-4.

Freshman RHP Alex Alba (Sylmar, Calif.) earned the game-two victory for Quinnipiac, good for her third win of the season. The rookie pitched 4.1 innings in the effort, earning two runs on two hits allowed. Sophomore Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) came in for 2.2 innings of relief to earn her second save of the season. Schwartzburg also earned two runs on the day, and allowed five hits.

The Bobcats return to action tomorrow afternoon in their final home games of the 2010 season. The team will host Sacred Heart in a NEC doubleheader, scheduled to start at 12 p.m. The games will also serve as Senior Day for Quinnipiac’s eight graduating players.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team came away with two victories on Sunday afternoon, as the Owls swept a doubleheader against Franklin Pierce on Senior Day at Pelz Field. SCSU defeated the Ravens by the final score of 3-1 in game one, followed by a 5-1 triumph in game two. Prior to the second game of the double-dip, the Owls honored their four seniors for their career contributions.

With the two victories, SCSU ascended to 31-9, 19-3 in Northeast-10 Conference competition. Furthermore, the Owls have completed its home regular season schedule, recording a mark of 21-1 at Pelz Field.

As they have done so often this season, the Owls jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of play. Seniors Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.), Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) and Kerry Iacomini (Northford, Conn.) began the rally by loading the bases with two singles and a fielders’ choice. Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.) manufactured the first run with a sacrifice fly to right field, followed by a two-run double from Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) for a 3-0 lead.

Those three runs were all that Iacomini, Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.) and Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) would need. Iacomini was stellar in her final regular-season home game, as she threw four shutout innings, scattered five hits and struck out three for her 10th win of the season. Hill came on for the fifth and sixth and Larson closed out the game with a two-out save (fourth on the season) for the win.

In the back end of the twinbill, after a scoreless opening frame, the Owls put the first run of the game on the scoreboard in the second inning. Southern took advantage of two errors by the Franklin Pierce defense, bringing Whitley across the plate. Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.) was credited with an RBI on the play.

The Owls surrendered the tying run in the top half of the fourth, but quickly regained the lead. In their ensuing at-bats, Ragaini launched a two-run homerun to the opposite field, granting Southern a 3-1 advantage. Ragaini’s blast marked her second of the season.

Southern added two more in the fifth when Iacomini recorded her fourth homerun of the season. Iacomini tagged a shot over the centerfield fence, bringing Caporossi home from second for a 5-1 lead.

Game two starter Larson kept the Ravens off the board for the remainder of the game, concluding the two-game sweep. She tossed a complete game, allowed two runs on six hits and struck out one for her 12th win of the campaign. Larson lowered her season ERA to a miniscule 2.36 with the outing.

The Owls return to action on April 27 when the squad travels across town to face New Haven at Chargers Field. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.