March 18, 2011
Sacred Heart Box Score
Manhattan Box Score
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - There wasn't much down time for the road-weary Lafayette softball team. The Leopards returned from Florida on Thursday night after playing 10 games in six days. A quick turnaround saw Lafayette boarding a bus at 6 a.m. on Friday, heading to the Seton Hall Pirate Classic in South Orange, N.J. where they played two morning contests.
Lafayette's first matchup came at 9 a.m. against Sacred Heart. The Pioneers led the entire way, scoring runs in all but two innings in a 12-2 six-inning final.
Five errors hurt the Leopards in the opener. Sacred Heart scored its first run of the game in the second inning on a fielding error and never trailed. The Pioneers added three more in the top of the fourth, two coming from Taylor Froelich's (3-for-5) two-run home run. Sacred Heart led 5-0.
Sacred Heart (7-7) put the game out of reach with seven runs in the top of the sixth. Liz Tsipouras and Alyssa Garza each plated a pair of runs with two of the Pioneers' seven hits in the inning.
Lafayette made a little noise in the bottom of the sixth. Stacey Dorn's bases-loaded single put the Leopards on the board, and Carly Feiro knocked in another run with a fielder's choice in the 12-2 final.
Ali Henry (0-5) gave up five runs (three earned) in four innings in the mound loss. She walked four and struck out one while scattering five hits. Christine Hilcken (6R, 4H, 4BB) threw an inning and a third and Melissa Robinson (1R, 3H, 1BB) threw two-thirds of an inning. Sacred Heart's Nicole Sidor fanned 10, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings in the victory.
In the second game at 11:40 a.m., Lafayette took an early 4-0 lead over Manhattan, but gave up the winning runs in the sixth, losing 6-4 at Ivy Hill Park.
The Leopards put a four-spot on the scoreboard in the third inning. They loaded the bases with one out before a Manhattan error at third aided the rally. Noel singled up the middle to score two. Feiro walked and Lauren Murphy loaded the bases with a single to center.
Kerry Griffin brought home Lafayette's third run when she was hit by Melissa Donnelly's offering. That prompted a pitching change when Kate Bowen moved from DH to the rubber. Jordan Parsons welcomed her with an RBI-single to give Lafayette the 4-0. The Leopards did strand three runners at the close of the inning. Manhattan quickly answered with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Bowen singled home Jen Keller (double) and Jaci Rahey doubled home another to halve the Leopards' advantage.
The Jaspers (4-9) knotted the game at 4-4 with Monica Evangelista's one-out single. Manhattan scored the go-ahead runs in the sixth, manufacturing the first run with a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt before Bowen grounded out to bring home Amanda Babcock who had reached with a lead-off single. Erika Sullivan gave the Jaspers an insurance run with an RBI-double.
Lafayette head coach Meaghan Asselta went to the bullpen, replacing the starter Robinson (5.2 IP, 10H, 6R, 3BB, 2K) with Noel who walked a batter and then enticed a pop up to end the rally.
The Leopards' Nos. 5, 6, and 7 batters went down in order in the seventh to finish the game. Sullivan (2-2) collected the win for Manhattan, tossing two hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Lafayette (1-15) plays host Seton Hall on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and an opponent to be determined at either 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.
