May 10, 2008
2008 Patriot League Softball Championship Page
Bethlehem, Pa. - The top two seeds of the 2008 Patriot League Softball Tournament, No. 1 Lehigh and No. 2 Lafayette, advanced to the championship bracket and will face off on Sunday. Lehigh defeated No. 3 Bucknell, 9-5, in the first game of the day and moved right to Sunday's championship competition. Lafayette then won two games in a row to advance to Sunday's play, beating No. 4 Army, 5-3, and Bucknell, 6-4 in eight innings. The first game of the championship bracket on Sunday will begin at 10 a.m. If Lafayette wins the first game a second will be needed and will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.
The first game of the day started off looking like a pitchers dual as only three runs were scored heading into the fifth inning of the Lehigh-Bucknell matchup with the Bison leading 2-1. Lehigh (37-14-1, 14-6 PL) then exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 7-2 contest. Alex Cueva drove in the first run of the inning on a ground out to score Megan Conrad. Alisha Gonzales then provided a two-run single, followed by another two-run single from Whitney Lowe. The last run of the top half was scored by Taryn Hanley courtesy of a Conrad single.
Bucknell (23-29, 13-7 PL) responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Ashley Carlson singled as the first Bison batter in the inning and eventual stole home to make it 7-3. Ashley Beans then scored on an error by Lehigh's leftfielder and then Erin Curatola singled home Elyse Colmenero, making it a 7-5 contest.
In the top of the sixth Lehigh tacked on two more runs via a Gonzales double to centerfield that scored Lisa Sweeney and Cueva, making it 9-5, which would prove to be the final tally as the Bison were unable to score in either the sixth or seventh, coming up with just one hit in those two innings.
Gonzales went 2-for-3 at the plate with four RBI and one run scored for the Mountain Hawks, while Lowe also enjoyed a 2-for-3 game with three RBI. Sweeney was walked each of the four times she came to bat and crossed the plate three times. Sweeney notched the win in the circle, coming up with 13 strikeouts and improving to 24-3 on the year.
For Bucknell, Curatola went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Carlson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Wiest was the losing pitcher going five and one third innings. Katie McDonald finished out the game in the circle.
In the second game on Saturday, Lafayette (26-23, 13-7 PL) scored a run in both the top of the first and second innings to start things off. Stacey Kushner stroked a solo homer in the first frame and Sara Price singled through the left side to score starting pitcher Kasey Karr from third base.
Army (13-39, 8-12 PL) tied the game up in the bottom of the second. Mary Ann Kearney singled to score Sarah Yates and Laura Baranek provided another single, allowing Jennae Tomlinson to cross the plate and make it 2-2.
A two-run single from Karr put Lafayette back up by two runs in the top of the third with Christina Giambrone and Kushner scoring. The Leopards added on another run in the top of the next frame with Robyn Matchett singling up the middle to push Emma Kline over the plate.
The only other run Army would score on the day would be in the bottom of the sixth with Cassie Ellington crossing home plate on a pass ball.
Karr went 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBI and one run scored, while earning the pitching victory, going 4.1 innings. Ali Henry came in for the remaining 2.2 innings and received the save.
Baranek was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate for the Black Knights, who were the first team eliminated from the 2008 tournament. Veronica Barth was saddled with the complete-game loss, giving up six hits and three earned runs.
Lafayette once again struck first with three runs in the top of the third of its eight-inning defeat of Bucknell in the final game of the day. The Leopards first trio of runs came from a Stacy Kushner round tripper to left center with Price and Giambrone also scoring on the hit.
Bucknell came back with two runs in the bottom half of the frame with a home run of its own from Cassie Lloyd, which also scored Curatola who led off the inning with a single. The Bison then tied up the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth off a Mary Pavlovich double to allowed Kristin Frick to score.
Scoring did not resume until the seventh inning when each team added a run. For Lafayette Price scored off a Kline single and Carlson scored an unearned run for the Bison.
Lafayette pulled away in the top of the eighth with its second home run of the game, this time coming from Giambrone which drove in two runs to make it 6-4.
Kushner went 2-for-3 for the Leopards with three RBI and two runs, while Giambrone drove in two runs and scored once. Karr worked the first 6.1 innings, but Henry notched the win with 1.2 innings in the circle, allowing just two hits and no runs. Each had three strikeouts.
For Bucknell, Curatola went 2-for-4 from the plate with one run, while Pavlovich had a 2-for-3 outing with one RBI. Lloyd had a pair of RBI and one run. Starting pitcher McDonald was charged with the loss, giving up all six earned runs and 11 hits. Wiest pitched the late two outs of the game. Wiest ends here career with 364 career strikeouts for ninth all-time in Patriot League history.
Results and box scores for this weekend's competition can be found on the Patriot League web site on the main page as well as on the Softball Championship Page which can be accessed by clicking here.
2008 Patriot League Softball Tournament Schedule
Thursday, May 8
Game 1: No. 1 Lehigh 8, No. 4 Army 0 (5 inn.)
Game 2: No. 3 Bucknell 1, No. 2 Lafayette 0 (10 inn.)
Saturday, May 10
Game 3: Lehigh 9, vs. Bucknell 5
Game 4: Lafayette 5, Army 3
Game 5: Lafayette 6, Bucknell 4 (8 inn.)
Sunday, May 11
Game 6: Lehigh vs. Lafayette, 10 a.m.
Game 7: Lehigh vs. Lafayette, Noon (if necessary)
