May 1, 2004
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Heather Hamasaki's pitched a two-hit shutout to lead No.1 seed and host Lehigh to a 1-0 win over No. 2 Army as the Mountain Hawks advanced through the winners' bracket into the championship finals of the Patriot League Softball Tournament 9 a.m. Sunday morning at Kaufman Field.
Army junior hurler Leigh Harrell (14-11) turned in a strong performance in the circle, limiting Lehigh to just four hits and issued just one walk. But the Mountain Hawks (39-15-2) bunched together two of those hits in the second inning to push across a run and Hamasaki protected that lead.
In that game-winning inning, Mary Wieder led off the top of the second with a single, went to second on a wild pitch and reached third on a fielder's choice before being delivered by Kelly Kliewer's RBI single to left field.
Hamasaki (10-9), who issued a walk to leadoff batter Darcy Wilson in the fifth in losing out on her perfect game, then was touched by Army for both her hits in the sixth in losing out on the no-hitter. The freshman hurler got out unscathed when Lindsey Romack, who beat out a bunt, was caught stealing for the second out. Lauren Gobar followed with a single to left field, but Hamasaki closed the door on a groundout to the first baseman.
She retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, picking up her fifth strikeout in the process, to preserve her fourth shutout of the season and Lehigh's 15th.
Army drops into the losers' bracket where it will face will Colgate in final game of the day with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship game against Lehigh. The Black Knights rallied to defeat No. 3 Colgate, 2-1, in a first round game in advance to the winners' bracket where they faced Lehigh.
The Raiders dropped into the losers' bracket where they worked their way back by defeating No. 4 Bucknell to dispatch the Bison, who fell to Lehigh 5-0 in the first game, in the double elimination tournament.
