West Propels 49ers as Charlotte Sweeps St. Bonaventure 3-2, 6-4
April 6, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - Behind a two-out RBI single to left field from junior catcher Jaime West in the bottom of the seventh, the Charlotte 49ers (22-19; A-10: 5-3) rallied past conference foe St. Bonaventure (8-12; A-10: 3-3) 3-2 in game one of doubleheader action Sunday afternoon at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex. The 49ers returned to take game two 6-4, anchored by a two RBI effort from junior shortstop Cee Brooks and the game-winning RBI from freshman outfielder Whitney Williams.
In the first game, freshman pitcher Katy Hackett held St. Bonaventure to just two runs on three hits, holding onto the no-hitter through four complete innings and striking out seven. West led the team with two RBI on three hits, while sophomore outfielder Serena Smith chipped in one RBI. Charlotte built an early lead in the bottom of the first as a West double brought in Williams, who reached off a single, before adding another run in the third when Smith, who reached on a fielder's choice, brought in junior second baseman Sarah Malene. St. Bonaventure would answer with a two-run homer from Brianna Bricker to left field in the sixth inning to even the score, but West's single in the seventh allowed junior third baseman Jenny Rumbles, who singled through the left side as the inning's lead-off hitter, to come home from third.
In the second game, after pouring on three runs in the first, the 49er defense held St. Bonaventure to four runs on nine hits, forcing the Bonnies to leave 12 on base. Sophomore pitcher Emily Jeffery threw seven complete innings, striking out five.
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West opened scoring in the first, collecting her third RBI on the day with a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Malene, who had previously singled to third base and advanced on a Williams single and Smith ground-out. Brooks followed with a two RBI double, scoring Williams and a walked sophomore utility Keri Palma, to build a three-run lead. The Bonnies would break onto the board in the top of the second with an RBI single, but freshman catcher Tenaya Tucker would answer in the bottom of the inning with a bomb to center field, marking her first career home run. Despite another St. Bonaventure RBI single in the third, Charlotte turned in two additional runs in the fourth off the game-winning RBI single to center field from Williams and a Smith RBI single to left center. St. Bonaventure added one more run to its tally in the fifth and seventh innings, but failed to bounce back.
Smith and West, who have each collected 29 RBI apiece on the season, now lead the team and the conference in the category.
The 49ers return to action Wednesday when they host in-state rival #16 North Carolina at 4 p.m. for a doubleheader at D.L. Phillips Field.
