University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Aims High
May 26, 2006 | Softball
May 26, 2006
Everyone agrees it would be an upset, but not a miracle.
"We have to have a sound game plan," University of Massachusetts softball coach Elaine Sortino said of the best-of-3 Super Regional series at Northwestern, which begins today at 4. "They're very tough, and (pitcher Eileen) Canney is an All-American, flat-out awesome.
"To beat them, we have to take our game up a level," Sortino said. "But we're a different team than we were when we last played them."
UMass lost 7-2 to Northwestern Feb. 24 at the Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Wildcats became the No. 4 seed in the 64-team NCAA tournament, and have home-field advantage for the series.
Game 2 will be played at 2 p.m. tomorrow. If the teams split the first two games, a tiebreaker will be held as the second half of a doubleheader tomorrow.
At stake is a trip to the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. For a UMass team with underclassmen at most positions, being in this spot is not a total shock, but also not taken for granted.
"You have to take a step back and take a moment to appreciate it," senior catcher KJ Kelley said. "Then, we have to go at (Northwestern) like we've never seen them before. A lot of teams change from the beginning of a season, and we have, too."
The Minutewomen (40-14) are more mature than in February, and feel ready to take on an opponent that reached the Super Regional in 2005, when the current NCAA tournament format was adopted.
"We're a lot better," senior second baseman Kristi Stefanoni said. "And Northwestern is better, too."
UMass won its regional in undefeated fashion, beating Lehigh twice. But for however long the Minutewomen remain in the NCAA tournament, the opponents will now come from larger universities with more far-flung reputations.
"Lehigh was great competition," Stefanoni said. "But we've faced the Californias and the UCLAs, and teams like that, so we're prepared.
"All you need to win is outs," she said. "Once you stop trusting you can do, it, it's all going to come apart."
The outs have been supplied by freshman pitcher Brandice Balschmiter, whose 31-7 record gives her the UMass single-season record for victories.
Northwestern (45-12) has a couple of pitching options. Canney, a junior, is 23-6 with a 1.04 ERA and 339 strikeouts in 222 innings. Senior Courtnay Foster is 22-6 with a 1.62 ERA, and hasn't allowed a run in two postseason games.
Foster was the winning pitcher against UMass in February, throwing a five-hitter. Balschmiter allowed seven hits and seven runs in that game, though four runs were unearned.
The UMass right-hander dominated the NCAA Amherst Regional, allowing only seven hits in 24 innings. She threw a no-hitter and a one-hitter, and won all three games.
Northwestern last reached the College World Series in 1986, when the Wildcats swept UMass in a best-of-3 (both shutouts) to reach the showcase.
To avoid a similar outcome, the Minutewomen are determined to be patient at the plate, working the count and absorbing the tendencies of Northwestern pitching in the early innings.
First baseman Amanda Morin leads UMass with a .411 average. The top four hitters in the lineup - Morin, Candice Molinari, Whitney Mollica and Kelley - all have on-base percentages above .455.
"Amanda really wanted to hit leadoff, and she's had to work on her patience, because she was used to going up there and whacking everything," Sortino said. "Now she can run the count up, and gather information for our others hitters, too."