Softball Splits Pair of Games at UAA Championship Tournament
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Altamonte Springs, Fla., March 15, 2012 – The No. 21 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team split a pair of games on Thursday afternoon at the 2012 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship Tournament in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
The Bears had 13 hits in a 12-3 win over Brandeis University in the first game, and then lost a hard-fought 9-8 eight inning affair with the University of Rochester in game two.
#21 Washington U. 12, Brandeis 3
Washington U. started the contest with four-straight singles, including RBIs from freshman Adrienne White and senior Corissa Santos, as the Bears jumped ahead 2-0. The Bears pushed across three more runs in the second on four base hits. White had a clutch two-out two-RBI double to right center, and then junior Sondra Polonsky pushed a run across with a single to short right to make it 5-0.
Brandeis (2-2, 2-2 UAA) would not go away, as they scored an unearned run in the fourth and then pushed two runs across in the fifth on RBI singles by Marianne Specker and Anya Kamber to make it 5-3. The Bears added an insurance run in the sixth as White picked up her fourth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to center.
Washington U. put the game out of reach with six runs in the top of the seventh inning. Freshman Sydney Caldwell delivered the big hit of the inning, a pinch-hit grand slam with one out. The home run for Caldwell was the second of her career.
Sophomore Kelsey Neal (4-0) tossed a complete game for Washington U., allowing five hits and two earned runs. Senior Alyssa Abramoski was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, while White was 2-for-4 and tied career-high four RBIs. Santos also added two hits and two RBIs for Washington U. Sophomore Stacy Berg was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk against her former team. Berg hit .400 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs as a freshman at Brandeis in 2010.
Rochester 9, #21 Washington U. 8 (eight innings)
The Yellowjackets struck first with a run in the first inning, but Washington U.’s bottom of the lineup got things going for the Bears in the their second at-bat. Sophomore Maggie Mullen singled with one out, stole second, and then scored following an RBI single by freshman Alyssa Wilson. A sacrifice RBI by Caldwell gave Washington U. its first lead at 2-1, and then after a bunt single by junior Ashley Janssen, Abramoski double to left to drive in two more runs to push the lead to 4-1. White singled to center on the ensuing play to make it 5-1.
Rochester answered back with five runs in the bottom of the second on three hits and took advantage of three walks. The Yellowjackets put an unearned run on the board in the fourth and added a run in the sixth to make it 8-5.
The Bears rallied back in the seventh with three runs on three hits, and took advantage of an error by Rochester. An RBI single by Mullen and an RBI groundout by Neal trimmed the advantage to 8-7, and then with two outs, Caldwell reached on an infield single that scored Mullen from second to tie it at 8-8.
Santos nearly gave the Bears the lead in the top of the eighth as she doubled off the right field wall with two outs, but was stranded at second. In the bottom of the eighth, Kristen Baldino walked and advanced to second on an illegal pitch by Neal, who came into the contest in the seventh. Alyssa Murillo moved her over to third with a sacrifice bunt, and then Cara Celoria brought home the game-winning run with a bunt single.
Neal (4-1) suffered her first loss of the year allowing one earned run in an inning pitched. Senior Olivia Cook kept the Bears in the game tossing 5 1/3 innings pitched in relief allowing 10 hits and two earned runs. Rochester outslugged Washington U. 15-12, and left 14 runners on base. Five Bears each recorded a pair of hits in the loss.
Emory University (21-2, 4-1 UAA) has a one game lead over Washington U. (9-3, 3-2 UAA) in the UAA standings with three games remaining. The two teams will meet again on Saturday, March 17, at 10 a.m. (ET) in the final day of the Tournament.
Washington University plays just one game at the UAA Championship Tournament on Friday, March 16, against Case Western Reserve University. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. (ET).
Bear Notebook: Santos is second in hitting in the UAA Championship Tournament in hitting with a .444 (8-for-18) batting average with five RBIs … White extended her team-best seven-game hitting streak with four hits on Thursday.