Pineda-Boutté Wins 200th Game as #24 Softball Sweeps Grinnell

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Grinnell, Iowa, April 2, 2011 – Head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutté picked up career win number 200 and became the school’s all-time wins leader as the No. 24 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team swept a doubleheader at Grinnell College on Saturday afternoon in Grinnell, Iowa.

The Bears posted a 25-1 victory in five innings in game one, followed by a 20-5 win in five innings in the nightcap.

Pineda-Boutté is 180-59-1 (.750) in six seasons as Washington University, and 201-85-1 (.702) in seven seasons as a collegiate softball coach. She also passed former head coach Cindy Zelinsky (178-68, 2000-05) as the Bears’ all-time wins leader.

“It’s amazing what offensively we are capable of doing. We are hitting the ball well, but definitely have room for improvement. Its also nice to make substitutions in the game and not miss a beat,” said Pineda-Boutté. “It’s a tremendous honor to be apart of the Washington University softball history. Current and former players though are the ones that should be commended.”

The Bears had a school-record 25 runs on 24 hits in the game-one victory. Washington U. scored four runs in the first and eight in the second inning to jump out to a commanding 12-0 lead. Senior Claire Voris had two triples and three RBIs in the second, while junior Alyssa Abramoski had her NCAA Division III leading seventh RBI triple.

Freshman Claire Henkel drove in three runs on a pair of singles as the Bears added eight runs on nine hits in the third inning. Sophomore Sondra Polonsky’s grand slam in the fourth inning pushed the advantage to 25-0. The home run for Polonsky was the first of her career.

Polonsky was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored in game one, while Voris was 3-for-5 with four RBIs. She also tied the school record for runs scored in a game (four) and triples (two). Junior Olivia Cook picked up the win on the mound, improving to 7-2. She allowed six hits and one unearned run while striking out six.

The Bears jumped on Grinnell with three runs on three hits in the first inning of game two. Polonsky had an RBI single to center, while Santos drove in a run with an RBI triple to right. An RBI single by Voris and Polonsky in the top of the second pushed the advantage to 5-0.

Washington U. opened the third inning with three-straight doubles by junior Corissa Santos, senior Ally Berenter and freshman Kelsey Neal. Mullen and Polonsky added RBI singles in the third to push the lead to 9-0. Voris made the start for Washington U., allowing one hit and five strikeouts in two innings pitched.

After Grinnell scored two off sophomore Kathy Peter in the bottom of the third, Washington University put the game out of reach by scoring nine runs on nine hits in the fourth inning. Peter picked up the victory allowing five runs and five hits in three innings pitched.

Santos was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs in the win, while Polonsky was 3-for-3 with three RBIs. The Bears tied the school record for the second-straight game with 24 hits.

Washington University (19-6-1) returns to action on Wednesday, April 6, as the Bears host a doubleheader against NCAA Division II Maryville University. Game one is set to begin at 4 p.m.

Bear Notebook: The Bears also set a school record in game one for RBIs (24) and triples (three) … Polonsky went 7-of-8 with seven RBIs in the doubleheader sweep, upping her average to .471 … The Bears are now hitting .398 as a team for the season … Abramoski’s seven triples in 2011 ties a single-season school record, while her nine triples in a career ranks second.