SALISBURY, Md. - The top-seeded Salisbury
University softball team needed extra innings to complete its quest
for an 11th straight Capital Athletic Conference Championship as it
beat No. 3 seed Catholic University 12-11 in nine innings.
Salisbury (28-7) led off the ninth as junior Kurisha
Hoffman drew a walk and advanced to second on a passed
ball one batter later. Freshman Brittany Lounge
came to bat and laced a ground ball right to Catholic pitcher
Stephanie Clemente, who committed a throwing error on the play to
first, which allowed SU to score the game-winning run. This was
SU's only lead of the game.
Catholic (17-17) took a 5-2 led in the top of the third inning when
Kerry Convery (3-for-4, four RBIs) hit a two-run single to put the
Cardinals up three. Two innings later junior Kat Ager belted a
two-run home run in the top half of the fifth inning to match CUA's
biggest lead of the game at three, 7-4.
SU immediately answered in the bottom half as they scored three
runs behind a bases loaded single by senior captain Tee
Dronenburg that plated two Sea Gulls. Junior Meaghan
Murphy added an RBI single to cap the fifth inning for the
Gulls.
Salisbury went into the bottom of the seventh inning down two,
10-8, when freshman Kelly
Waskewicz launched a two-run home run over the
left field fence to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
Waskewicz now leads the team with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs.
The game saw its fifth tie at the end of the eighth when each team
scored one run.
SU pitcher Stacy Davis (12-2) earned the win when
she re-entered the contest in the top of the eighth. Davis gave up
five runs on six hits in four and one-third innings of work.
Cardinal pitcher Clemente got the loss as she went one-third of an
inning and surrendered the game-winning run.
Catholic beat York College (Pa.) in the first game of the day, 4-3,
to earn its way into the championship game to face Salisbury. SU
beat CUA, 10-2, in their match up yesterday and are now a perfect
4-0 against the Cardinals this year.
Salisbury will return to action when they travel to Dover, Del. to
take on future CAC member Wesley College on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
