#23 Softball Tops Catholic in the Winner's Bracket of Landmark Conference Tournament
Senior outfielder Amanda Paulus hit an RBI sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the 23rd-ranked and top seed Moravian College softball team a 1-0 victory over third seed The Catholic University of America in the winner's bracket game on the first day of the 2011 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament at Blue & Grey Field Friday.
Senior outfielder Amanda Paulus hit an RBI sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the 23rd-ranked and top seed Moravian College softball team a 1-0 victory over third seed The Catholic University of America in the winner's bracket game on the first day of the 2011 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament at Blue & Grey Field Friday.
With the victory, the three-time defending Landmark Conference Champion Greyhounds advance to the championship round for a fourth straight year and will play at 1:00 p.m. Saturday. The Cardinals will play in the final elimination game at 11:00 a.m. Saturday's action begins at 9:00 a.m. with second seed Susquehanna University and fourth seed The University of Scranton in the first elimination game.
For the third straight season in the four-year history of the Landmark Conference, the winner's bracket game of the tournament went to extra innings. It is the sixth extra-inning game in tournament history but the first to be scoreless after seven innings and the first to go more than 11 innings.
Sophomore third baseman Taylor Stockinger led off the game with a double for Catholic but she would be stranded at second base.
In the bottom half of the first, the Greyhounds would get two runners on base on a pair of one-out singles from freshman outfielder Miranda Sergas and freshman designated player Taylor Mihalik but Moravian wouldn't score either.
Stockinger would reach second base again in the top of the third with a single and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore outfielder Mel Galella but was left there again.
Moravian put two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back two-out walks by freshman catcher Cassie Ernst and sophomore first baseman Amanda Dizinno, but the Greyhounds were unable to capitalize.
The Greyhounds put another runner at second base in the bottom of the fifth when freshman pinch hitter Melissa Cottone drew a leadoff walk; however, Moravian was unable to score.
Sophomore third baseman Shannon Mohr led off the bottom half of the sixth with a single up the middle and freshman Alycia Sabol ame in to pinch run. A sacrifice bunt from Paulus moved Sabol to second while Ernst hit a single to put runners on the corners. Dizinno hit a ground ball to second base but Sabol was thrown out at the plate trying to score.
In the top of the seventh, senior catcher Kristen Trancynger led off with a double for Catholic and sophomore Melissa Rebechi came in to pinch run. Junior outfielder Tracey Scanlon sacrificed Rebechi to second before Moravian recorded the final two outs of the inning to keep the game scoreless.
For Moravian in the bottom half of the seventh, senior second baseman Stephanie Falzarano drew a four-pitch walk with an out, and she moved to second on a wild pitch. However, the Greyhounds would strand her there, the fourth runner Moravian left in scoring position.
Mohr drew walk to lead off the eighth for the Greyhounds, and she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Paulus before being stranded on base.
Junior shortstop Megan Rizzi drew a one-out walk for Catholic in the top of the ninth, and she would reach third base, the second Cardinal runner in the game to get to third, before Moravian recorded the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of the tenth for the Greyhounds, junior pinch hitter Jenna Carmon reached on an error, and Mihalik reentered the game and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Mohr. Moravian would end up stranding her there, the Greyhounds 11th runner left on base in the contest.
Stockinger led off the top of the 11th for Catholic with a double off the left centerfield fence. Galella put down a sacrifice bunt to move Stockinger to third before Rizzi was intentionally walked and stole second. However, Moravian would get the final two outs to end the threat.
Moravian would get a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the 11th. Dizinno singled with one out and junior Olivia Evanko came in to pinch run. Senior outfielder Maura Agnew would sacrifice Evanko to second but Catholic would get the final out.
Falzarano led off the bottom of the 12th with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a pitching change, Sergas hit a sacrifice bunt to move Falzarano to third. Mihalik and Mohr were both intentionally walked to load the bases and set up a force out at every base. Paulus would hit a sacrifice fly to right center to score Falzarano with the winning run.
Catholic had a 5-4 edge in hits with Stockinger going three-for-five with a pair of doubles. She was the only player on either team to record more than one hit.
Senior pitcher Elizabeth Python, pictured at right, earned her team-leading sixth shutout of the season and remained undefeated in the circle for the Greyhounds at 13-0 as she tied the school record with a 12-inning performance. Python allowed five hits and three walks while striking out five batters. The win was the 40th of Python's career, the ninth pitcher in school history to record 40 wins.
Freshman Erin McMakin took the loss for Catholic, falling to 9-6, after allowing a run on four hits and six walks to go with one strikeout in 11-plus innings of action. Freshman Kerri Apicella tossed the final 2/3 of an inning with two intentional walks.
