SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury
University softball team won two games on the second and final day
of the 2009 Sea Gull Invitational at Henry S. Parker Athletic
Complex. Salisbury (7-4) defeated Kean University 3-2 and held on
to shut out Shenandoah University 3-0 on a chilly Saturday
afternoon.
The Sea Gulls started off strong as junior shortstop
Kelly Waskewicz (two hits, one run, two RBIs) hit
a home run to center field to lead off the game in the top of the
first inning. SU held onto the 1-0 lead for the next three innings
before Kean tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth inning with the score tied 1-1 senior
outfielder Meaghan O'Gara hit her second home run
of the season with a blast to center to give the Sea Gulls a 2-1
lead.
The Cougars tied the game going into the seventh as they scored
a run off the bat of outfielder Lindsay Kennedy but the Gulls
answered in the seventh inning. Junior outfielder Jen
Cahall walked and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by O'Gara.
Waskewicz then hit a single through the infield which brought
around Cahall to score the eventual game-winning run.
Kean rallied in the bottom half of the seventh inning as the
Cougars loaded the bases with one out. Kean's Nikki Castagno hit a
ball back to the pitcher where senior Stacy Davis
(3-2) quickly threw the ball to catcher Lauren
Brenneman for the force out at the plate to preserve the
SU lead. Davis struck out the next batter to end the game.
Davis earned her third win of the season as she pitched the
complete game and allowed two runs on six hits, walked three and
struck out eight. She got out of another jam in the fourth inning
when Kean had runners on second and third base with one out before
the right-hander struck out two to end the inning.
In the second game, Salisbury turned around and hosted
Shenandoah University in the final game of the tournament. The game
remained scoreless until Salisbury scored in the bottom of the
fourth inning. Junior first baseman Ali Ritter
singled to the shortstop and sophomore Taylor Webb
came in to pinch run. Sophomore pitcher Kelsey
Mills (3-2) then reached on a walk. With two runners on
base O'Gara doubled to center field to plate Webb and Mills and
give SU a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Brenneman added an insurance run when she
hit her fifth home run of the season to give the Sea Gulls a 3-0
advantage.
The Hornets threatened in the seventh inning as Mills walked the
first two batters and Shenandoah's Jess Khosravi-Heins singled to
load the bases. Mills struck out the next batter and then the Sea
Gull defense forced out another run at the plate, just like the
game before. Shenandoah pinch hitter Marlee Camplese stepped to the
plate with the bases loaded and smacked a hard hit to left field
but O'Gara made the catch to end the game.
Mills earned her third win of the season as she threw the
complete game shutout and only allowed three hits and issued three
walks while she struck out four.
Salisbury will make its official home debut this season tomorrow
(Sunday, March 15) as the Sea Gulls welcome No. 7 DePauw University
and SUNY Plattsburgh to Sea Gull Field. SU will face DePauw at 10
a.m. followed by DePauw against Plattsburgh at Noon. The final game
will be Salisbury against Plattsburgh at 2 p.m.
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