Bears NCAA Run Comes to an End Against #5 Ohio Northern

BOX SCORE

Greencastle, Ind., May 16, 2010– The No. 17 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team concluded its season with a 7-3 loss to No. 5 Ohio Northern University on Sunday afternoon at the 2010 NCAA Division III Regional held at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. This marked the fourth-straight elimination game Washington U. had played after dropping its first regional contest on Thursday.

"It was rare for a team to put seven runs that fast on us," said fifth-year head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutté. "They were hitting pitches off the plate and doing a great job adjusting."

Washington U. allowed four home runs in the first four innings, and trailed 7-0. Mandi Fought led off the game with a triple, and then a home run by Jackie Mondola made it 2-0. Junior Claire Voris struck out Kimi Blewett for the first out of the inning, and then Mangola’s older sister, Tina, followed with a solo home run to make it 3-0.

Voris (21-7) allowed three hits and three runs in 1/3 innings pitched before giving way to sophomore Olivia Cook. She pitched the next 2 1/3 innings allowing four hits and three earned runs. Cook allowed a solo home run to Kimi Blewett to push the lead to 4-0, and then a two-run home run by Cassie Gaye made it 6-0.

Boutté went to freshman pitcher Kathy Peter following Gaye’s home run. Peter had not pitched since April 10, against Hope College – a span of 36 days. She held Ohio Northern at bay for the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. Katie Creitin’s RBI single with two outs in the fourth made it 7-0.

ONU starting pitcher Cortney Crash took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, before senior Ally Berenter broke up the no-no with a solo home run to left field. The home run for Berenter was her seventh of the season and ninth of her career. After a one-out single by Voris, sophomore Alyssa Abramoski doubled to center field to trim the lead to 7-2.

The Bears loaded the bases in the top of the sixth with one out after singles by seniors Megan Fieser and Carter Malouf, and a hit-by-pitch by senior Berenter. Freshman Sondra Polonsky pinch ran at first base for Berenter, bringing up sophomore Corissa Santos. She sent a pitch from Cash on the ensuing play deep to right field, but Tina Mangola reached over the four-foot fence and brought the home run back into play. Fieser tagged up and scored the third run of the game for the Bears, but Polonsky was doubled off at first base to end the threat.

Voris was 2-for-3 at the plate in the loss, as Washington U. was limited to six hits. Cash (21-7) picked the victory for the Polar Bears, allowing six hits and three earned runs. ONU had 10 hits in the win, highlighted by a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs and two runs scored by Jackie Mangola.

"This is special group of young women and was a joy to coach this year," Boutté added. "They were competitive all year long and never let down."

Washington University wraps up its season with a 37-11 overall record, tied for the second most wins in school history. Ohio Northern picked up its 40th victory of the season, and advanced to the regional championship game against No. 19 DePauw University on Sunday.

This marked the final game in the Red and Green for Washington University’s four seniors: Fieser, Malouf, Ashton Hitchcock and Caitlyn Hoffman. As a group, the four seniors will leave the Danforth Campus compiling an overall record of 124-46, for a winning percentage of 72.9. The four seniors were apart of three University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances, and a second-place finish at the College World Series in 2007.

Bear Notebook: Fieser’s single in the sixth inning was the 166th of her career, moving her into a tie for fifth place all-time … Berenter’s RBI in the fifth was the 60th of her career.