University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
La Salle
SOFTBALL SWEEPS DOUBLE-HEADER WITH LA SALLE
March 24, 2001 | Softball
March 24, 2001
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - University of Massachusetts head softball coach Elaine Sortino earned wins 700 and 701 as the Minutewomen swept a double-header with A-10 foe La Salle this afternoon. UMass won the first game, 14-6, and the second, 9-0 in six innings.
In game one, the Minutewomen broke a 3-3 game open with five runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior Teri Rooney (Visalia, Calif.) singled to right and an error by the rightfielder allowed two runs to score. She later scored on a single by junior Ashley Bakken (Phoeniz, Ariz.). Senior Debbie Tomoguchi (Irvine, Calif.) and sophomore Emily Robustelli (Stamford, Conn.) each picked up RBI hits in the inning.
La Salle scored three times in the next two innings, but the Minutewomen put across six insurance runs in the final inning to end the Explorers threat. The big blow was a two-RBI double by sophomore Brandi Cross (Diamond Bar, Calif.). Cross went 3 for 4 in game one with three RBI's.
UMass sophomore pitcher Kaila Holtz (North Vancouver, British Columbia) improved to 7-1 by hurling a complete game. She scattered nine hits, while striking out four,
In game two, the offensive explosion continued for the Minutewomen. They scored three runs in the top of the second, and that is all they would need as senior pitcher Carrie Jeffries (Placentia, Calif.) threw a near perfect one-hit shutout. Her only blemish was a two out single in the fifth inning by La Salle's Missy Rorke. Junior Cherra Wheeler (Kingsburg, Calif.) and freshman Jamie Cahalan (Mesa, Ariz.) both had two hits and two RBI's for the Minutewomen.
The Minutewomen pounded La Salle pitching for 22 hits on the record-breaking day. Sortino is in her 22nd season at the helm of the UMass softball team and has 701 of the 767 wins in the history of the program. Her career record at UMass is now 701-323-3 (.684).
The Minutewomen improve to 13-9 overall, 2-0 A-10 with the wins and will conclude the three-game series with La Salle tomorrow, March 25, at noon. Their home opener at the UMass Softball Complex will be March 29, when they host Vermont. The double-header will begin at 2:00 p.m.
