University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Quinnipiac
Softball Begins FAU Tourney With A Pair Of Wins
March 16, 2007 | Softball
March 16, 2007
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Sophomore Whitney Mollica (Windham, N.H.) went 4-for-7 with two RBI and senior Amanda Acampora (Orange, Conn.) hit a home run as the Massachusetts Softball Team (10-8-1) beat Rutgers (4-14) 6-0 and Quinnipiac (2-5) 10-3 on the first day of action at the Florida Atlantic University Parent's Weekend Tournament. Sophomore Brandice Balschmiter (Newark, N.Y.) had a three-hit shutout in the first game to improve to 7-6 on the year and also pitched two perfect innings of relief against Quinnipiac. On the afternoon, Balschmiter walked two and struck out 11. Freshman Bailey Sanders (Durham, Conn.) got the win vs. Quinnipiac with five-plus innings of work. She allowed one earned run, three total, on six hits and two walks. Senior Candice Molinari (Glendora, Calif.) also drove in three runs for UMass. Pool play continues on Saturday as UMass faces Michigan State at 1:00 PM and No. 3/3 Texas A&M at 4:00 PM.
UMass got to work early against Rutgers pitcher Eileen Pianat. The Minutewomen plated three runs in the top of the first inning giving Balschmiter a 3-0 cushion before she even threw a pitch. Molinari got it started with a one-out single and then stole second base.After junior Stacy Cullington (Encinitas, Calif.) drew a walk and Acampora flied out, junior Lauren Proctor (La Jolla, Calif.) legged out an infield single. Molinari scored all the way from second base putting UMass up 1-0. Mollica made it 2-0 with a RBI double to the gap in right-center field while a RBI single up the middle by bsophomore Samantha Salato (Toms River, N.J.) provided the third run of the inning.
That would be all Balschmiter would need as she turned on the cruise control for much of the game. She did not allow her first hit until the fourth inning and scattered just two singles in the game, two of which never left the infield. A pair of infield singles and an error gave the Scarlet Knights a chance with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Balschmiter got out of the jam.
Acampora gave UMass some insurance with a solo home run in the top of the third inning. It was her first home run of the season. UMass also added two runs in the top of the fourth before Pianat settled down. Freshman Jessica Serio (Barrington, R.I.) got it going with a double to right-center, the first hit of her career. After a single by freshman Whitney Williams (Kingsley, Pa.) put two on with one out, UMass got a run on a successful double-steal and a sacrifice fly by Morin.
Pianat retired the final 11 UMass batters, but the Minutewomen had more than enough runs to hang on for the win.
In game two, Quinnipiac scored three runs in the top of the first inning off of Sanders, but just one was earned. The Bobcats had the bases loaded and nobody out and it looked like Sanders would escape the mess allowing just a run, but a clutch, two-out, two-run single by Jenna Henry made it a 3-0 game.
Krista Seeman shut down the Minutewomen for the first three innings but in the fourth, UMass finally broke through with a pair of clutch, two-out hits. UMass stranded five runners in the first three innings. With sophomore pinch runner Carly Morin (Worcester, Mass.) at second base with two outs, Williams kept the inning alive by reaching on an error. Morin, who was batting for Mollica who led off the frame with a single, then came around to score on a RBI single by Morin. Molinari then delivered a RBI single bringing the Minutewomen within a run at 3-2.
A 1-2-3 top of the fifth set the stage for an eight-run bottom half of the inning for UMass. Acampora, Proctor and Mollica each reached on infield singles to load the bases with nobody out. Salato tied the game on UMass' third straight infield single. After Proctor scored the eventual winning run on a wild pitch, Serio reached on a RBI fielder's choice making the score 5-3 favor of the Minutewomen.
UMass was nowhere close to being done scoring, however. Five more runs in the inning blew the game open and when the dust settled UMass led 10-3. Morin picked up a RBI on a fielder's choice while Molinari provided the knock-out punch on a two-run double down the left-field line.
That hit by Molinari knocked Seeman from the game, but a RBI hit off the bat of junior Stacy Cullington (Encinitas, Calif.) and Mollica as well as another rwild pitch capped the scoring for the Minutewomen. The final three runs came off relief pitcher Carolyn Schmolz.
Quinnipiac tried to mount a come-back in the top of the sixth. A single and a double to start the inning gave the Bobcats runners at second and third with nobody out. Balschmiter entered the game, but was able to get out of the inning on a pair of strikeouts and weak ground ball to Mollica at third base. Balschmiter needed just nine pitches to erase any comeback thoughts by Quinnipiac.
Sanders pitched five-plus innings giving up six hits and one earned run on two walks and a strikeout as she improved to 3-2 on the season. Balschmiter retired all six batters she faced, fanning four of them.
Massachusetts continues play at the Florida Atlantic University Parent's Weekend Tournament Saturday afternoon. The Minutewomen will face Michigan State at 1:00 PM and then No. 3/3 Texas A&M at 4:00 PM. The championship round will then be held Sunday at a time to be determined. All UMass games this weekend will feature free live audio and stats at www.umassathletics.com.
