May 8, 2009
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Colgate Box Score Bucknell Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The secret to Lafayette's success on Friday boils down to a very valuable appendage: Kasey Karr's arm.
Less than 24 hours from her one-hit, seven-inning loss versus Lehigh on Thursday, Karr delivered two wins on Friday by throwing 11 strikeouts and holding Colgate and Bucknell to 11 scoreless innings out of 12.1 innings of action. With the wins, No. 4 seed Lafayette (19-28) advanced to the Patriot League Championship where they will meet No. 1 seed Lehigh (35-16-1) for the second-straight year at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa.
The Leopards rallied from a 5-0 deficit against Colgate to take an 8-5 win and followed with a 4-1 victory over Bucknell.
In game one against Colgate, the Leopards quickly fell behind with a 5-0 deficit after the Raiders scored four runs off five hits in the second inning. Though Lafayette was shut down in the bottom of the second, the team responded with four runs of its own in the bottom of the third.
Emma Kline singled to right center in the leadoff spot and advanced to second on an error while Gwen Turner reached first on a fielder's choice. Patriot League Player of the Year Christina Giambrone tripled to right field, driving in both runners.
Stacey Kushner and Stacey Dorn both doubled to drive in two more runs. Now revived, the Leopards took the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Kline reached on a fielder's choice. Turner doubled to the right field fence, advancing Kline to third. Karr reached on a fielder's choice and Kline beat the throw at home to tie the score, 5-5.
Kushner had a sacrifice fly to send in Turner and take the lead. The Leopards added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth and advanced to meet Bucknell in the semi-final.
Against the Bison, the Leopards scored all they needed to in the top of the third to seal the win. Kline singled in the leadoff spot. Turner grounded out, advancing Kline to second. Karr singled and Kline made it to third on a throwing error by the third baseman.
After Giambrone was intentionally walked, Kushner singled and advanced to third after a throwing error by the first baseman allowed Lafayette to score two runs. Kushner then scored on a passed ball, 4-0.
Lafayette held Bucknell scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when the Bison after Brittany Schlorff came home on a fielder's choice from Jessie Snyder. With two outs on the board and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Giambrone made the play that clinched Lafayette's second consecutive berth to the Patriot League championship game.
Cassie Lloyd sent a shot that looked primed to drive in runs and keep the Bison's momentum rolling. However, Giambrone snatched the ball with an aerobatic catch and recorded the final out, silencing the previously incessant Bison cheers from the dugout.
Three No. 4 seeds have appeared in the title game during the Patriot League Tournament's history, but all have fallen short of claiming a championship.
