University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Connecticut
Carta Slams #21 UMass Past UConn, 12-0
April 16, 2010 | Softball
April 16, 2010
STORRS, Conn. - Meghan Carta slammed two home runs, one a grand slam, to lead an offensive explosion for No. 21 UMass softball (27-7) in a 12-0 win over UConn (18-20) on a drizzly Friday afternoon at the Connecticut Softball Stadium. Sarah Reeves and Jessica Serio each were 3-for-3 at the plate as the Minutewomen piled up 12 hits and 10 walks. Sara Plourde threw a two-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts as UMass' winning streak improved to 12 games.
Carta led a four-run third inning by blasting a two-run home run to straight-away center field. The junior catcher hit her team-leading eight homer of the season in the seventh inning with a grand slam to center field, giving her a career-high six RBIs in the game.
Serio started off the UMass scoring with a RBI double in the second inning, and after reaching on a walk and two singles, hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run in the seventh.
Reeves reached base on successfully in all five of her plate appearances with a single, double, triple, and two walks.
Plourde (26-5) allowed just two hits in the game, a leadoff double in the first inning and two-out single in the sixth, and just four base-runners total (walk and hit-by-pitch) while striking out 15, including seven in a row at one point. The NCAA strikeouts leader now has 391 on the season.
Carly Normandin also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a RBI.
After scoring a run in the second, the Minutewomen blew the game open in the third with four runs, two on Carta's first home run and two coming off a pair of Huskies errors. The Minutewomen scored two more runs in the sixth, on a illegal pitch with a runner at third and a bases-loaded walk, before unloading for five runs in the seventh frame, led by Carta's grand slam.
Kiki Saveriano (10-9) took the loss for UConn, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits and five walks in four innings. Ali Adelman pitched the final three frames, allowing seven runs, five earned on seven hits and five walks.
The Minutewomen travel to Olean, N.Y. to face St. Bonaventure at noon on Sunday in an Atlantic 10 doubleheader.
