George Washington University
14-12, 0
UMass*
11-11, 0
Softball Drops A-10 Doubleheader Against Massachusetts
3/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 24, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC - The George Washington University softball team dropped both games of an Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader against defending league champion Massachusetts, 9-0 (6) & 6-0, Friday at Mount Vernon Softball Field. UMass' pitching staff was the story on the afternoon, as the Colonials notched just three hits in the two games.
With the victories, UMass improves to 11-11 overall, 2-0 in the A-10, while GW falls to 14-12 overall, 1-3 in conference play.
In the opener, the Minutewomen scored four times in third and three more times in the fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead in the contest. Amanda Acampora's two-out grand slam in the third accounted for all four runs in the frame, while Whitney Mollica's two-run single highlighted UMass' three-run fourth.
The Minutewomen added two more runs in the top of the sixth to cap the scoring and starter Brandice Balschmiter finished off the Colonials in the bottom half of the inning to earn the complete-game one-hit victory.
GW was able to load the bases on Balschmiter in the fourth, as both Chrysanthi Halkiotis (Brookeville, MD) and Katie Miller (Manteo, NC) drew walks, but UMass was able to get out of the inning when second baseman Hilary King (Canal Winchester, OH) grounded out to short for the third out.
Junior Elana Meyers (Douglasville, GA) had the lone hit for GW in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore Gabby Culp (Desoto, TX) (6-3) was hit with the loss after allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings.
Jenna Busa got the start for UMass in game two and picked up right where Balschmiter left off. Sophomore Caroline Howe (Los Alamitos, CA) delivered a two-out double in the first off Busa, but was left stranded at second base. The Colonials would only have runners in scoring position twice more the rest of the game.
Catcher K.J. Kelley gave UMass a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo shot and also hit another solo blast in the seventh to cap the scoring for the Minutewomen. Massachusetts scored a single run in the fifth to make it 2-0 and added four runs over the final two innings for the final margin. Kelley finished 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI.
GW's best scoring opportunity came in the fifth when pinch hitter Tori Sensi (Skillman, NJ) singled up the middle with one out, later advanced to second on sac bunt from Cat Belanger (Monterey, CA) and advanced to third on a wild pitch. But, Sensi was left stranded as Busa got Meyers to ground out to end the threat.
Sophomore Jen Hrycyna (North Brunswick, NJ) (2-3) went the distance for GW, but suffered the loss allowing six runs on 10 hits.
The Colonials (14-12, 1-3) return to action when they host Rhode Island in a conference doubleheader on Sunday, March 26, at 12 p.m. at Mount Vernon Softball Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jenna Busa (2-6)
L: Hrycyna, Jen (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Amanda Morin 1
HR: Whitney Mollica 1 ; KJ Kelley 2 ; Samantha Salato 1
RBI: Whitney Mollica 2 ; KJ Kelley 2 ; Samantha Salato 2
SH: Stacy Cullington 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Amanda Morin 1 ; Whitney Mollica 1 ; KJ Kelley 2 ; Lauren Proctor 1 ; Samantha Salato 1
Batting:
2B: Howe, Caroline 1
SH: Belanger, Catherine 1
Base Running:
SB: Yaniga, Jackie 1
