C-USA Softball at NCAA Championship - May 21

Shelly Riker

Conference USA softball teams went 4-5 on Friday at the 2004 NCAA Championship regionals. Two teams remain after two days of competition. USF dropped a contest to No. 12 Oregon before bouncing back to defeat No. 21 Florida to stay in the competition. DePaul topped Canisius to continue play in Ann Arbor, Mich. and will play the winner of Oregon and Tennessee on Saturday. Louisville dropped out after posting two losses to No. 4 UCLA and No. 17 Long Beach State. Houston was also eliminated after falling to Illinois after a win over Texas A&M C.C. Southern Miss notched a win against Utah before falling in an elimination game against Southern Illinois.

DePaul 8, Canisius 0 (5 innings) – Ann Arbor, Mich.

The No. 5 seeded DePaul softball team downed No. 8 Canisius, 8-0, in five innings Friday morning at the NCAA Regional in Ann Arbor. Saskia Roberson knocked in five runs on two hits and has notched 10 RBI in the last two games.

Roberson smashed her second home run of the NCAA Regional in the first inning to put the Blue Demons up, 2-0. DePaul left the bases loaded at the end of one, after Canisius starter Andrea Bunten walked three and gave up a single to Sarah Douglas.

Christina and Sarah Douglas started the third inning with a pair of singles to the left side but were left stranded as the next three batters were retired.

Linda Secka led off the fourth with a double to left field, extending her hitting streak to 12 games, and scored on a Sarah Martz double to center field. With one run in fourth, DePaul widened its lead to, 3-0.

Sarah Polensky singled to left center to score Sara Bandauski from third. Ashley Parker and Sarah Martz each connected on infield hits to load the bases for Saskia Roberson. Roberson doubled to left center, empting the bases and put DePaul up, 8-0. The game was called because of the eight run rule.

Sarah Martz (24-15) threw her seventh shutout of the season. She gave up four hits and struck out four in five innings of work. Andrea Bunten (16-10) recorded the loss for Canisius.

Offensively, Sarah Martz and Sarah Douglas each went 3-3. The Blue Demons combined for 12 hits.

The Blue Demons advance and will play the loser of the No. 3 Oregon State- No. 2 Tennessee on Saturday at 3 p.m.


Houston 1, Texas A&M Corpus Christi 0 (8 innings) – Waco, Texas

For the second time in as many meetings between the University of Houston and Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the two teams went to extra innings, this time the Cougars came out on top with a 1-0 win, the first NCAA Tournament win in school history.

Houston and TAMU-CC battled through a pitchers duel for seven and a half innings before the Cougars were able to string together a pair of hits in the bottom of the eighth inning.

After two quick outs to start the inning, Houston third baseman Kristen Glowacz hit an infield pop up which was not played by any of the Islander infielders, giving the Cougars a runner on first with two outs. Jenilee Skender took advantage of the gift from Corpus Christi, hitting a line drive to left center field. The ball split the Islander outfielders and rolled to the wall, giving Glowacz the opportunity to easily score from first base for the win.

"I was just looking for a base hit," Skender said of the game winning double. "I was looking to make contact and advance my runner."

Glowacz and Skender, and Jaci Gonzalez each picked up two hits in the game, Glowacz blasted a triple off the left field wall in the first inning, Skender hit another double in the fourth inning, while Gonzalez doubled twice.

Houston head coach Kyla Holas said it was good to see her team play the way they could, as opposed to the way the team played in its initial game against Seaton Hall Thursday afternoon.

"We came out today and played the we are capable of," Holas said. "It was good to do see them do the things we know we can do."

Senior Jamie Falco pitched a complete game two hitter for Houston to improve to 9-2 on the season. In eight innings she stuck out three Islander batters while walking one.


Illinois 3, Houston 2 – Waco, Texas

The University of Houston softball team saw its post season play come to an end Friday evening, as they fell 3-2 to Illinois at Getterman Stadium in Waco, Texas on the campus of Baylor University.

After two innings of scoreless play, Illinois jumped out to a 3-0 lead, taking advantage of four hits. With one out, Lindsey Hamma hit a RBI single up the middle to score LeeAnn Butcher and give the Illini a 1-0 lead. A Katie O'Connell sacrifice fly made it a two-run game before Elene Planinsek singled to right to score Hamma and give Illinois a three-run cushion.

"I feel we did everything we could," Houston head coach Kyla Holas said. "We knew it was going to come down to a game of offense, and the numbers were very close. It wasn't a very high strike out game. It was about who got the brakes."


Houston (39-25) had several opportunities to cut into the lead, the first coming in the bottom of the sixth inning when Michelle Keith got a pinch hit single and Jamie Adams picked up a two out infield single. The Cougars however did not capitalize on the opportunity as Kristen Glowacz popped up to center field to end the inning.

Houston made a last ditch effort in the bottom of the seventh inning as Brandi Clark ripped a double to left center field which forced Melissa Lynch to third base. Lynch was on first base after entering the game as a pinch runner for Jenilee Skender who had singled.

Senior Arelis Ferreris then lofted a deep fly ball down the right field line which was caught on a dive by Illinois right fielder Erin Montgomery. Taking advantage of the sprawling Montgomery, both Lynch and Clark came around to score. Clark put the second run on the board for Houston with a text book slide, that just beat the tag of catcher Janna Sartini.

The two runs was as close as the Cougars could put up in the final frame, as sophomore Jaci Gonzalez stuck out swinging to end the game.

The Cougars 39 wins mark an all time high in school history and their win against Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the opening game of the day, was the first NCAA Tournament win for the program.


UCLA 2, Louisville 0 – Los Angeles
The University of Louisville softball team fell to fourth-ranked and the NCAA region 2's top-seed UCLA 2-0 on Friday.
The Bruins jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first on Andrea Duran's solo shot over the left field wall.

UCLA threatened to score in the second when Emily Zaplatosch singled, moved to second on Alissa Eno's sacrifice hit and Caitlin Benyi and Duran drew back-to-back two out walks to load the bases. Louisville starter Kady Garrick got Lisa Dodd to fly out to end the inning.

Garrick got out of another jam in the third when Claire Sua walked, Stephanie Ramos was hit by a pitch and Zaplatoscho reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Garrick struck out Eno and got Julie Hoshizaki to ground out.

The Bruins added an insurance run in the sixth when Benyi delivered a two-out double and scored on Duran's double to make it a 2-0 game.

Garrick (17-8) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out three in seven innings. Shannon Nord went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Cards offensively.

UCLA's Keira Goerl (25-7) got the complete-game shutout, allowing three hits while striking out nine.

Long Beach St. 3, Louisville 0 – Los Angeles

In U of L’s second game of the day, the 49er's threatened in the third when Kourtnee Gervasi drew a leadoff walk and took second on Tiffanie Wedell's sacrifice bunt. Colleen Burdick walked and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Arleigh Thorp drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but Louisville starter Aja Sherman struck out Jamie Farnworth to get out of the inning.

The teams played through four scoreless innings before Long Beach broke open the game with three runs in the fifth when Colleen Burdick walked, advanced to second on Lauren Johnson's bunt single and came home on Thorp's hit. Farnworth's two-run double sent Thorp and Johnson home to give Long Beach State a 3-0 lead.

The Cardinals responded in the sixth when Nord doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Sara Bausher's double. Wood singled and Lisa Estes walked to load the bases for Courtney Moore's sacrifice fly which sent Bausher home and made it a 3-2 game.
Sherman (16-7) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on four hits and struck out four in six innings. Offensive, the Cardinals had six hits and were led by Nord, who finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

"I am very proud of this team," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "They played hard this weekend and showed a lot of heart. They never quit and fought all the way. This was a great season for our young team and the experience is invaluable for the future."


Oregon 12, USF 0 – Tallahassee, Fla.

The USF softball team suffered its first loss of the 2004 NCAA Regionals with a 12-0 setback to Oregon Friday afternoon.

The Bulls, who were unable to string together anything offensively, were run-ruled for the first time since a 9-1 loss to Louisville on March 13.

The Ducks pounded USF for 10 hits in only five innings of play, while Samantha Ray and Tiffany Stewart racked up the Bulls' only two hits of the afternoon.


USF 8, Florida 1 – Tallahassee, Fla.

In a must win situation the University of South Florida softball team defeated the Florida Gators, 8-1 Saturday night at the Seminole Softball Complex. The Bulls were led by seniors Holly Groves, Leigh Ann Ellis and Shelly Riker. It marks the second time this year the Bulls have defeated the Gators. USF beat UF back on February 6, 2-1.

The game was scoreless through the first three innings but in the top of the fourth USF (59-13) cracked the game wide open. Sarah Watson came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, and drilled the first pitch she saw to left center emptying the bases. The Bulls added another run on a single by Kattrina Dowd that scored Nicole Christensen from second. Riker then doubled over the left fielders head that scored Ray and Dowd.

The Gators were threatening in the sixth with a runner on the second but two sliding catches by USF first baseman Carmela Liwag in foul territory put an end to any threat.

Groves put the game to bed in the top of the seventh with her 18 home run of the season over the left field fence, giving her 82 RBI on the year.

Ellis (42-7) pitched a complete game six-hitter. Ellis threw 100 pitches, 64 of them being strikes.

USF advances to the next game against Cal-State Northridge at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. The game can be heard on www.gousfbulls.com


Southern Miss 13, Utah 5 – Palo Alto, Calif.
Southern Miss belted three home runs and 12 hits to cruise to a 13-5 victory over Utah in an elimination game Friday at the NCAA Softball Region 7 Tournament at the Smith Family Stadium here at the University of Stanford campus.
With the victory, the No. 5 seed Lady Eagles (33-25) advances to play the loser of the Southern Illinois-Hofstra contest. That game is slated for a 8 p.m., PT/10 p.m., CT, first pitch. Utah, the eighth seed in the tournament, fell to 23-33 overall.

"It was important for this team to get that win under our belts," Southern Miss Head Coach Gay McNutt said. "We needed to know that we could win at the regional tournament. We came out and pounded the ball, which is something we have done all year. That's what we needed to do today."

Sophomore shortstop Jessica Huerta paced Southern Miss with a 3-for-4 performance and three RBIs, while Diane Hammes, Sarah Boyd and Ashley Davis all had two hits. Boyd hit a grand-slam home run, Huerta blasted a two-run shot and freshman catcher Sue Logan knocked in a solo homer.

Senior pitcher Jessica Holaway (18-7) picked up the victory, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in the complete-game performance.
"Utah has a good hitting team," McNutt said. "I was very pleased with the way Jessica (Holaway) handled the game. They got some hits off her, but they were scattered and didn't hurt too much."

Utah scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but it wasn't until the top of third that the Lady Eagles did their damage. With the bases loaded and one out, Boyd bombed her 10th home run of the season with a grand-slam to right center field.

Southern Miss tacked on a single run in the next inning, courtesy of Logan's solo homer to left center.

Utah added another run in the bottom of the inning -- a solo home run by Lynsey Wall -- but that would be the closest the Utes would get. The Lady Eagles put up four runs in the sixth and seventh innings, putting the game out of reach.

The Utes did add three runs during the last two-inning span, two of which came off another home run by Wall.

Along with Boyd's and Huerta's RBIs, Logan, Butler and Bell all added RBIs.

The win gives Southern Miss its first postseason victory since 2000 and first under McNutt. Now, the head coach hopes her team can carry that momentum into Friday night's game.

"Any game from here on out is huge," McNutt said. "We have to play every game like the national championship. Both your offense and defense has to be on if you want to be successful."

The Golden Eagles' home runs were the 48th, 49th, and 50th of the season, which ranks second all-time in school history, behind only the record 56 hit by the 1999 World Series team.


Southern Illinois 4, Southern Miss 1 – Palo Alto, Calif.

Southern Miss saw the 2004 season come to a close with a 4-1 Friday night loss to Southern Illinois in an elimination game here at the Smith Family Stadium on the University of Stanford campus.

The Lady Eagles scored one run on five hits and made one error in the loss, ending the season with a 33-26 overall record. The Salukis tallied four runs on six hits to advance to Saturday's semifinal round against Pacific.

"I'm disappointed with the loss," Southern Miss Head Coach Gay McNutt said. "Whenever you get this far in the tournament, you have to work harder on defense, and we didn't do that tonight.

"But I'm very proud of this team. We are young, and we will get better. We are going to miss those five seniors, but the foundation has been set for the future. I'm very proud of what we have done."

Danielle Wymer (9-8) took the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Jessica Holaway pitched 1.2 innings in the game, walking two and striking out one, while Danielle Hatfield pitched a third of an inning, getting the last out on a grounder to short.

Cassidy Scoggins (13-4) pitched the complete-game win, allowing one unearned run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Lauren Roney paced the Salukis with two hits, while Katie Jordan added a pair of RBIs.

Ashley Brenan, Jessica Huerta, Sarah Boyd, Ashley Davis and Heather Bell each had a hit for Southern Miss.