April 16, 2008

Virginia Tech sweeps Liberty in front of huge crowd

BLACKSBURG - On an emotionally-charged day on the Virginia Tech campus, the 19th-ranked softball team took part in the "Day of Remembrance" and came out with a sweep of Liberty University Wednesday afternoon in front of 1,030 maroon and orange-clad fans. Tech used a five-run sixth inning to take the first game 7-2 before cruising to a 9-1, five-inning victory in the second game.

The day was a poignant one as it marked the one-year anniversary of the events on campus. Lisa Sherman, whose sister Leslie Sherman was one of the 32 who tragically lost their lives on that day, threw out the honorary first pitch in her honor to get the day started.

Understandably, the Hokies came out a little flat in the opener, but managed to stake themselves to a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, a single by Charisse Mariconda drove in Jenna Rhodes and then Mariconda drove in Anna Zitt with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.

Things looked to be under control for Angela Tincher (W, 25-5), who had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning. But Amber DePasquale broke that up with an infield single and then Ashley Williams tied the game up with a tomahawk home run to center field.

Tech didn't panic and stormed back for five runs in the bottom half of the inning, helped in large part by Liberty's pitching. The Hokies had just one hit in the inning, a two-run single by Mariconda and also scored twice on bases-loaded walks, two of five free passes issued in the stanza.

Haller Ties Tech Home Run Record As Softball Sweeps Georgia Southern 5-0 And 10-4

STATESBORO, Ga. - Junior Whitney Haller was on base seven times going 6-for-7 with three doubles, six RBI, a home run and a walk as the Georgia Tech Softball Team (23-27) swept a doubleheader at Georgia Southern (28-24) 5-0 and 10-4 Wednesday afternoon at Eagle Field. The home run was the 46th of Haller's career moving her into a tie with Tara Knudsen for tops in the all-time Georgia Tech record books.

The Yellow Jackets pounded out 24 hits on the afternoon and senior pitcher Whitney Humphreys (13-13) won both games as she tossed a six-hit shutout in game one and then picked up a win in the night cap pitching 5.2 innings of relief and giving up just one earned run. She had 13 strikeouts on the day. At the top of the order, senior Aileen Morales was 4-for-7 with five runs scored, two home runs, a double, three RBI and two walks while freshman Christy Jones went 3-for-8 with three runs scored and three stolen bases. Junior Blair Shimandle was 5-for-8 on the afternoon with three RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

In game one, Tech batted around in the first inning scoring four runs on four hits against Georgia Southern pitcher Melissa Laliberte. Senior Aileen Morales led off with a single up the middle and then stole second base. After freshman Christy Jones reached on an infield single, junior Blair Shimandle singled as well driving home Morales with the game's first run. Jones had to hold at second base, but with senior Savannah Brown at the plate, she and Shimandle pulled off a double-steal. The throw by GSU catcher Jenny Side went into left field allowing Jones to score the second Yellow Jacket run. Later in the inning, junior Whitney Haller crushed a two-run double into the gap in left-centerfield making the score 4-0.

No. 15 Carolina Takes Two From Lady Chanticleers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The 15th-ranked North Carolina softball team picked up wins number 41 and 42 on Wednesday as the Tar Heels swept a midweek series from visiting Coastal Carolina (18-30). Jennifer Jacobs connected on a three-run home run in the first game to provide all of the Tar Heels offense in the 3-0 opening game win before the Tar Heel bats came to life in game two and Carolina cruised to an 8-0, five-inning win. The Tar Heels (42-8-1) will host NC State this weekend in a three-game ACC series at Anderson Stadium.

Jacobs would put Carolina ahead midway through game one when she connected on her team-leading ninth home run of the year, a three-run shot to left center that gave starter Lisa Norris a 3-0 advantage. Breanna Brown led off the inning with a single back up the middle before she was caught stealing. Cassie Palmer put another runner on for the Tar Heels when she hit a high chopper over the third baseman's head and into left field. A fielding error by the Coastal Carolina shortstop put a pair of runners on base with just one out. After a fly out put the chances of scoring in jeopardy, Jacobs stepped to the plate. Alyssa Pederson delivered a ball before Jacobs connected on her 30th career home run, the third-most in school history, to put Carolina ahead 3-0.

Norris would cruise from that point as she allowed just three hits on the day and struck out 12 for her sixth shutout of the year. Norris lowered her team-leading ERA to 0.91 on the year, which currently ranks second in the ACC. With the win Norris goes to 15-3 in 2008.

BC Softball Bats Break Out In Shutout Win Over BU

Boston, Mass. - The Boston College softball team (21-24, 2-10 ACC) found the offensive spark it was looking for, collecting seven runs on seven hits in the cross-town match-up with Boston University (23-14, 9-2 America East) Wednesday afternoon at the BU Softball field, shutting out the Terriers by a score of 7-0.

Junior Renee Ramos set the pace for the offensive breakthrough, going 2-for-3 at the plate. She belted a three-run homerun in the top of the fifth inning and singled for an RBI in the third, giving her 4 RBIs on the day. She leads the team this season with seven homeruns, 44 hits and 31 RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Allison Gage (10-14) also had a stellar outing for the Eagles, earning her fourth shutout on the season in the win. Altogether she allowed no runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out a season-high five BU players.

Terrapin Softball Drops Two to Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The University of Maryland softball team dropped a pair of games to Penn State Wednesday afternoon after Danielle Kinley hit a walk-off, two-run home run to propel PSU over the Terps in the second game, 3-2. In the first game, Penn State's Ashley Esparza hit a two-run home run and pitched a two-hit shutout to defeat the Terps, 7-0. Maryland drops to 30-14 on the season while PSU improves to 30-15.

In the bottom of seventh inning of the second game, Penn State starting pitcher Jackie Hill singled to right field before Hollee Haines tripled to left field to cut the Terps' lead to one. After a strikeout and a groundout, Kinley stepped up and hit a home run over the right field fence to give the Nittany Lions the victory.

In the third inning, Maryland's Whitney Reigel singled to right field and advanced on a Meghan Booth sacrifice bunt. She scored on a Jenny Belak double to left-center field. Senior Sarde Stewart hit her sixth double of the season off the center-field wall to score Belak and give the Terps a 2-0 advantage.

Dooley (13-10) finished with nine strikeouts in her ninth complete game of the season. Hill (14-6) finished with four strikeouts to earn the victory.

Florida State Drops Doubleheader Against No. 3 Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State softball fell in a rivalry doubleheader to Florida on Wednesday, April 16, at the Seminole Softball Complex in Tallahassee, 6-1 and 14-4. Florida State's record slips to 32-21, while No. 3 Florida improves to 48-2.

In game one, Florida State's lone run came from an RBI double by Monica Montez in the second inning with the Seminoles down 4-0. Tiffany McDonald also went a complete game, scattering six hits and four runs with nine strikeouts of her own. The loss is her fifth-straight as she is now 13-8 with a 1.62 ERA.

Florida was led by All-American pitcher Stacey Nelson, who picked up her 31st win of the season, with a complete game effort allowing one run on four hits while striking out nine with three walks.

In game two, Terese Gober got the start for Florida State, pitching only three innings, giving up eight earned runs, over eleven hits and five strikeouts before returning in the fifth. Gober, now pitching a 2.95 ERA, gave up 13 runs, 12 earned, on 13 hits in her 10th loss of the season.