No. 23 Softball Splits Pair of Contests at NTC Games
BOX 1 | BOX 2
Clermont, Fla., March 10, 2012 – The No. 23 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team split a pair of non-conference contests on Saturday afternoon at the NTC Games in Clermont, Fla.
The Bears had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 1-0 loss to John Carroll University in the opener, but responded with a 4-1 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the nightcap.
John Carroll 1, #23 Washington U. 0
The Blue Streaks (7-1) scored the lone run of the game with one in the bottom of the seventh to give the Bears their first loss of the season. Heather Hurley led off the seventh with single up the middle for John Carroll, and then scored after Michelle Murphy doubled down the left field line with one out to drive in the game-winning line.
Senior Olivia Cook (3-1) took the loss for Washington U. on the mound allowing seven hits and one earned run. The complete game for Cook was the 30th of her career, fifth most in school history. Sophomore Kelsey Neal was 2-for-3 in the loss for Washington U., who was limited to a season-low five hits.
#23 Washington U. 4, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute 1
Neal (2-0) tossed a complete-game on the mound and added the sixth homerun of her career in the win over RPI. She allowed 10 hits and one earned while striking out five in her third-career start.
The Bears scored a run in the first and then junior Sondra Polonsky drove in an run with a single in the third to pu the Bears up in front 2-0. Neal’s solo homerun – her first of the season – pushed the advantage to 3-0 and the Bears added an unearned run in the sixth to round out the scoring. Washington U. had five hits in the game two win, led by Neal's 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored.
Washington University (5-1) closes out play in the NTC Games with a pair of games on Sunday in Clermont. The Bears take on Manhattanville College at 9 a.m. (ET), followed by a contest with No. 18 ranked Ithaca College at 11 a.m. (ET).
Bear Notebook: Washington U. was shutout for the first time this season against John Carroll … Neal upper her team-leading batting average to .643 (9-14) with four hits on Saturday.