University of Massachusets Athletics
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#20/25 Softball Splits On Day Two In Miami
February 13, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 13, 2010
MIAMI, Fla. - After trailing 4-0 early, a Michelle Libby 3-run home run in the in the third inning and a run each in the sixth and seventh gave No. 20/25 UMass softball a 5-4 victory over Illinois-Chicago in game one, but Southern Illinois put 12 runs on the board to defeat the Minutewomen, 12-2, in game two, giving UMass (2-1) a split on day two of the FIU Combat Classic in Miami, Fla.
Kyllie Magill had the best day at the plate for UMass with two hits in each game, one of them a double. Besides Libby, Jessica Serio and Meghan Carta also drove in runs for the Minutewomen as they go to 2-1 on the season.
Sara Plourde (1-0) got the victory for UMass in game one, pitching all seven innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits while finishing one shy of her career-high with 12 strikeouts. Bailey Sanders (1-1) took the loss in game two, allowing nine earned runs on six hits while walking 10 batters and striking out three.
Against UIC, UMass went into the bottom of the seventh tied 4-4 with the Flames when Magill led the inning off with a single and Sarah Reeves (2-3, BB, R) followed with a double to left-center. Libby was then intentionally walked, loading the bases. Head Coach Elaine Sortino brought senior Serio into the game to pinch hit and in her first plate appearance of the season hit a groundball to towards the hole on the left side that was misplayed by the UIC third baseman allowing Magill to score the winning run.
The Flames had taken an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a leadoff triple, followed by two walks, that led to Brooke Frydendoll's 2-run double. The UIC lead reached 4-0 in the top of the third on after a UMass error kept the inning alive allowing Ashley Hewett to hit a double that scored a pair of unearned runs.
Whitney Williams led off the bottom of the third with a walk and Reeves walked with one out, putting two on base for Libby, who hit a line shot the other way clearing the right field fence and pulling the Minutewomen within one, 4-3.
Katie Bettencourt led off the sixth with a single and scored all the way from first on Carta's double, tying the game at four and setting up the win in the bottom of the seventh.
Against SIU, UMass took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Magill singled with one out and later scored on an error, but the Salukis struck back with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded double off the bat of Natalee Weissinger. SIU used five walks and two singles to plate four runs in the second inning, taking a 7-1 lead.
UMass got one back in the top of the third on a Serio single that scored Reeves, but SIU added four more in the bottom of the inning off two walks, two errors, a hit batter, and one hit, making it 11-2.
The Salukis tacked on one more in the fourth before UMass was unable to score in the top of the fifth, ending the game at 12-2.
UMass returns to action on Sunday at the FIU Combat Classic. The Minutewomen will conclude their game against NC State, which was suspended on Friday with UMass leading 1-0 in the fourth inning, at 1 p.m. before closing play at 2 p.m. against the host FIU Golden Panthers.
