Softball Secures Second Place at UAA Championship Tournament
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Altamonte Springs, Fla., March 17, 2012 – The No. 21 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team secured a second-place finish at the 2012 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship Tournament with a split in the final two games on Saturday in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Washington U. had 11 hits but struggled with runners in scoring position in a 7-2 loss to No. 2 ranked Emory University in the first game, and then defeated Brandeis University 5-4 after an RBI single by sophomore Maggie Mullen with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
#2 Emory 7, #21 Washington U. 2
After Washington U. left a runner at third in the top of the first, Emory scored two runs in its first at-bat to jump out in front 2-0. Megan Light and Jessica Thomas each had RBI singles in the inning for the Eagles.
Washington University trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the third following an RBI double by senior Corissa Santos, but Emory scored an unearned run in the fourth after an RBI single by St. Louis native Micah Scharff. The Eagles added another run in the fifth after Light took the first pitcher from sophomore Kelsey Neal and drilled it over the centerfield fence. The home run for Light her seventh of the season and 16th of her career.
Emory (23-3, 6-2 UAA) pushed across three runs in the sixth inning to extend its lead to 7-1. Sophia Tarte and Jessica Boni had RBI singles and Lauren Gorodetsky, the reigning UAA Women’s Soccer Player of the Year, drove in the third run of the inning with a bases loaded walk. Santos added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for Washington U. to round out the scoring.
Senior Olivia Cook (4-2) took the loss on the mound for Washington U., allowing three hits two runs (one earned) in 1/3 innings pitched. Neal tossed five innings allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned) in relief, while junior Kathy Peter allowed one hit in the final 2/3 innings pitched.
Santos continued swinging a hot bat going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while junior Ashley Janssen was 2-for-4 and senior Alyssa Abramoski went 2-for-3. Each team recorded 11 hits and left 11 runners on base.
#21 Washington U. 5, Brandeis 4
Brandeis broke open a scoreless game with a pair of runs in the top of the third after an RBI single from Brittany Grimm and an RBI double from Marianne Specker. Washington University trailed by two runs until the fourth when the Bears recorded their first two hits of the game. 
Junior Sondra Polonsky doubled with one out in the fourth for the first hit of the day, and then Neal launched a two-run home run to left to tie the game at 2-2. The home run for Neal was her fourth of the season and ninth of her career.
Washington U. continued use the long ball to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Abramoski was hit by pitch with two outs, and then Santos hammered a pitcher over the right field fence to give the Bears a 4-2 lead.
Peter got the first out in the top of the seventh inning, but Amanda Genovese began a rally for the Judges with a single. Brittany Grimm followed with a home run to left to tie the score at 4-4. In the bottom half of the inning, Abramoski singled up the middle with two outs and then moved to third following a single by Santos to right. That brought up Mullen, who blooped a single to right to score Abramoski for the game-winning run.
Peter (2-1) tossed a complete game for Washington U. allowing 12 hits and four earned runs while striking out three. Santos was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the win and finished the eight-game tournament third in batting average (.467, 14-of-30). She also led the tournament field in hits (14), doubles (six) and total bases (24).
Emory captured the UAA Championship for the third-straight year with a 6-2 conference mark, while Washington U. and the University of Rochester tied for second at 4-4. Rochester won their final four games of the tournament. Brandeis and Case Western Reserve University tied for fourth with a 3-5 mark.
Brandeis’ Marienne Specker went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the finale against Washington U., and recorded a UAA-best .524 batting average in the eight-team tournament. Washington U. hit .306 as a team with five home runs, while the pitching staff combined a 4.64 earned run average.
Washington University (10-5, 4-4 UAA) begins an eight-game homestand on Saturday, March 24, with a pair of games against Augustana College at 9:30 a.m. and Concordia University (Ill.) at Noon.
Bear Notebook: The homerun for Santos against Brandeis was the 15th of her career, moving into a tie for fifth in school history … Washington U. has finished first or second in the UAA 12 of 13 years.