University of Massachusets Athletics
Softball Defeats Illinois, 5-4
May 16, 2003 | Softball
May 16, 2003
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Sophomore Hilary Puglia's (Stoneham, Mass.) two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning propelled the University of Massachusetts softball team (38-14) to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the University of Illinois (39-17-1) tonight at the NCAA Regional Tournament. The Minutewomen will now face Georgia Tech in an elimination game tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
Junior Aisha Franke (Philadelphia, Pa.) led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single up the middle. Junior Jamie Cahalan (Mesa, Ariz.) hit a come-backer to the mound, but Illini pitcher Amanda Fortune threw the ball into center field trying to nab Franke at second putting two on with nobody out. Senior Anna Perey (Chino Valley, Ariz.) moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt bringing up senior Emily Robustelli (Stamford, Conn.). With the count 1-2, Robustelli fouled off a couple of tough pitches before hitting a sacrifice fly to center scoring Franke with the tying run. Puglia then followed with a bloop single to left field which scored Cahalan with the winning run.
Illinois scored four runs in the top of the first inning on just three singles. UMass sophomore pitcher Kelli Arnold (Kalama, Wash.). Arnold walked four batters and was called for two balks. Freshman Jenna Busa (Lexington, Mass.) came in to face two batters, but gave up one hit and a walk. Arnold came back in to fan the last two batters of the inning, but the damage had been done.
The Minutewomen got right back into the game in the bottom of the fourth inning by putting up a three-spot. After both Puglia and senior Kaila Holtz (North Vancouver, British Columbia) drew walks, freshman Katie Jo Kelley (Rainier, Ore.) hit a 1-0 pitch with two outs over the center field fence for a three-run home run bringing UMass back within a run. It was the Minutewomen's first hit in the game.
After Illinois left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning, Massachusetts tried to mount a comeback and plated the winning run. With one out, senior Brandi Cross (Diamond Bar, Calif.) reached second on a two-base error by the Illini and then Holtz followed with a walk knocking Sherri Taylor, the starting pitcher from the game. Amanda Fortune came in and struck out both Kelley and sophomore Denise Denis (Middle Grove, N.Y.) to get out of the jam, while throwing just seven pitches.
Arnold gave up four earned runs on seven hits and five walks. She struck out eight batters. Illinois stranded nine runners on base.
UMass will now face Georgia Tech in an elimination game tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. The Yellow Jackets eliminated Stanford earlier today with a 1-0, nine-inning victory. The winner will face the loser of the Alabama/Southern Illinois game at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
Notes: Earlier today, UMass came from behind to defeat UT-Chatanooga, 3-2. Puglia hit a two-out, three-run home run in the fifth inning for the Minutewomen's only runs ... the two wins thus far in the NCAA Regional are the most postseason victories since 1999. That year, UMass went 2-2 at the regional held in Amherst. It defeated Long Island University twice, while falling to California twice ... UMass avenged a 6-4 loss earlier this season to Illinois, while defeating UT-Chatanooga for the first time in its history (1-1) ... tomorrow marks the first-ever meeting between UMass and Georgia Tech.
