MAY 4 2003

 

COMMITMENTS

Kayla Jarrett, IF,OF, Missouri Madness, signed with Lincoln University

Danielle Hill, C,IF, Missouri Madness, signed with Lincoln University

Lacey Miles, IF,OF, Missouri Madness, signed with Lincoln University

Richelle Dorsey , Missouri Madness, signed with Western Illinois Univ

Stephanie Burns, SS,3rd, WA Team Speed, signed St Leo University

 

COLLEGE SCORES

Big 12 Tournament

Oklahoma 11, Oklahoma State 2

Texas 1, Oklahoma 0 ( Texas wins Big 12 tournament)

 

Southland Conference

UT Arlington 6, Nicholls State 2 (Mavericks win first-eve tournament title)

 

Top 25 Teams

UCLA def Oregon State   9-1 (5), 10-2 (6)

CS Fullerton def Cal Poly 9-1, 7-1

Arizona 6, Stanford 0

South Florida 5, Houston 2

Florida State def Georgia Tech 6-0, 4-0

DePaul 6, Louisville 2

Georgia 12, Alabama 4 (6)

Northwestern 2, Illinois 1

Michigan State 2, Michigan 1 (Big 10 title goes to Iowa )

Florida 4, LSU 0

Arizona State 1, California 0 (9)

Oregon 6, Washington 5

Louisiana-Lafayette def Western Kentucky 10-1 (6) 5-0

 

Other College Games

Penn State 6, Ohio State 2 (But Lions miss the Big Ten tournament)

Long Beach State def UC Santa Barbara 2-1, 1-0 (Meredith Cervenka no-hitter)

Colorado State def UNLV 4-2, 7-1

Boston College 9-2; Seton Hall 4-0 (split)

CS Northridge 4, Pacific 0

Akron 6, UAB 3

College of Charleston 6, UNC Wilmington 0

Syracuse 7-6; Villanova 3-1 (split)

Providence 5-1; Virginia Tech 4-1 (split)

UMBC def Monmouth 4-1, 3-2

Tennessee 7, Ole Miss 2 (Angela Brewer grand slam)

Loyola Marymount def St Mary’s  4-3, 11-0, 13-2

U Mass def George Washington 18-0, 13-0 (Kaila Holtz perfect game)

East Carolina 3, St. Louis 2

Akron 6, Buffalo 3

Cleveland State 5, Butler 0

Dayton def St Bonaventure 7-5, 7-3

Princeton 7-1; St. Joseph ’s 3-0 (split)

Rider 3, Princeton 2

Stony Brook def Binghamton 4-2, 6-2

Miami OH 5, Kent State 3 (Angie Gerber grand slam in 7th)

Eastern Kentucky 3, Southeast Missouri State 0 (Jonelle Csora no-hitter)

Central Michigan 8, Northern Illinois 3

Utah State 9, CS Riverside 1 ( Utah State ’s first home win of season)

Long Island def Mount St Mary’s 6-2, 9-0

Illinois-Chicago 4, Youngstown State 3

Siena 7-3; Canisius 2-0 (split)

George Mason 2, James Madison 1

Ball State 4, Toledo 1

Indiana 3, Purdue 0

 

 

Big 12 Game Notes

Texas edged Oklahoma 1-0 to win its second consecutive Big 12 tournament title.  The 3rd-ranked Longhorns beat the Sooners three times this year – all by one run.  Senior second baseman Lindsay Gardner provided the offense with a two-out, fifth-inning RBI double that plated pinch runner Tiffany Anders, and sophomore pitcher Cat Osterman supplied the defense with a brilliant two-hit shutout. Osterman struck out 10 batters and walked none to record her third shutout of the tournament and 15th of the year. She did not allow a run in 26.0 innings of tournament work and upped her season record to 26-4.

OU's Kami Keiter, pitching her fifth game of the tournament, gave up five hits and two walks while striking out five in 6.0 innings to fall to 29-7. Texas ' run was unearned.

The Longhorns, now 43-7, will host an NCAA Regional in two weeks. Oklahoma , owner of a 42-12 mark, will hit the road for regional play. Both teams will be trying to advance to the Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium May 22-26.

Cat Osterman earned tournament MVP honors after going 4-0. She gave up seven hits and three walks in 26.0 innings while striking out 44 batters and allowing no runs. The sophomore has been named tournament MVP both of her years and is 8-0 all-time in the Big 12 Tournament. Texas became the first school to win Big 12 softball regular season and tournament titles in consecutive years.

 

(Ed Note 1:  You think it’s easy to monitor college softball?  The story as it appears above was on the tournament web site.  But the following story, on the same game, was on College Sports.com:

 

  Texas broke a scoreless between Catherine Osterman and Kami Keiter in the 6th; Alexis Garcia singled with one out; Marlo Hanks ripped a hit to center which got by OU’s Erin Evans and bounced over the wall for a run-scoring ground-rule double.  Osterman struck out 10 while giving up two hits; Keiter gave up five hits while striking out five and issuing two walks.  The Sooner defense has to be credited with keeping the game close.  With the bases loaded in the 2nd, Garcia hit a grounder to Christina Enea who threw to catcher Heather Scaglione at home to tag Sarah Stelly; Scaglione threw back to Tiffany Weight at 1st for the final out.   Osterman did not yield a run in the tournament and was named most valuable player. 

(Ed note 2: the various interlocutors who chat on California web sites recite a litany that Texas is not that good, that only Osterman is a real star, etc, but, we note that somehow the Longhorns continue to win, and win, and win.  Seems like every night there is a new heroine to share the pedestal with Osterman, who only needs a run or two to win, whether it’s Lindsay Gardner, or Chez Sievers, or Sarah Wiesczak who hit the homer against Nebraska, or Marlo Hanks, someone steps up, usually in a late inning.  How much offense do you need?  Just one run more than the other team.)

Oklahoma rocked Oklahoma State with eight runs in the first inning and went on to run-rule the Cowgirls, 11-2, in five innings in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Sunday morning in front of 946 fans at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Sooner scoring explosion in the first frame set a Big 12 Tournament record.

OSU ace Lauren Bay was unable to pitch for the Cowgirls and Oklahoma took advantage with 13 hits including three home runs and a double against OSU's Cami Carter and Sarah Seagraves. Carter took the loss for Oklahoma State and fell to 1-2 on the season.

Oklahoma (42-11) will play Texas for the 2003 Big 12 Tournament title at 2:30 p.m. at Hall of Fame Stadium. With the loss, Oklahoma State was eliminated from the tournament. The Sooners improved to 6-0 all-time against OSU in Big 12 Tournament action.

"We've been pushing one (run) across and winning by one with everything we've been doing," said head coach Patty Gasso. "We were surprised not to see Lauren Bay pitching against us, but I guess there was an injury. They just saw this as an opportunity to bust the game open and get Kami Keiter off the mound which was a beautiful thing because we didn't have to use her at all. They kept plugging and hit some good, hard balls today. It's a good way to send us into the championship game."

Freshman Dana Askins (8-4) recorded the win for OU as Patty Gasso chose to rest starter Kami Keiter after the Sooners' eight-run explosion in the first. Askins pitched four innings before freshman Nicole Denes entered to pitch the fifth stanza. Askins fanned one batter without a walk and gave up five hits. Denes struck out two batters and walked two with one hit and one earned run in the final inning.

Both Leah Gulla (2-for-4) and Kristin Vesely (2-for-4) scored two runs for the Sooners. Gulla's two hits included her 11th double and ninth home run of the season. Erin Evans (2-for-3) got in the act with her sixth home run of the season while Vesely notched her second roundtripper.

Evans had three RBI in the game while both Tiffany Weight and Christina Enea each brought two runners home.

Both teams stranded seven runners while OSU committed four errors and the Sooners committed one.

Oklahoma now will meet No. 1-seed Texas in the title game at 2:30 . The Longhorns are undefeated in tournament play after beating Texas Tech, OU and Nebraska to reach the title game. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net (Channel 37 in Oklahoma City area, Channel 27 in Tulsa ).

 

 

 

Other Game Notes

Arizona beat Stanford by scoring all six runs in the 6th inning.  The Wildcats, who are on a 10-game winning streak,  Jackie Coburn scored when Courtney Fossatti reached on an error; Allyson Von Liechtenstein walked and scored on a wild pitch by Stanford’s Dana Sorenson.  Wendy Allen drove in Crystal Farley, then Fossatti and Allen scored on Mackenzie Vandergeest’s three-run homer.  Alicia Howell pitched her ninth one-hitter while striking out 11, and is 32-3.  #1 Arizona plays #2 UCLA next Friday.  Arizona edged Stanford 2-1 on Saturday night (a report SPY received too late to publish).  Hollowell also won that game.  Lovie Jung scored on an Allen rbi; the Cardinal tied the game when Katherine Hoffman scored on Jessica Allister’s fly ball.  Erin Palomarez drove in Shelly Schultz with the winning run for Arizona .

UCLA defeated Oregon State twice on Sunday.  The first game was a continuation of a game begun Saturday night, the first under lights at UCLA which was halted by rain.  UCLA was trailing 2-0 when that game was suspended, but quickly took charge with three homers.  Back-to-back HRs by Tairia Mims and Claire Sua in the 3rd tied the game.  The Bruins added four runs in the 4th: Emily Zaplatosch singled; pinch runner Amanda Simpson advanced on a sac bunt by Toria Auelua and scored on Monique Mejia’s rbi.  Andrea Duran singled and Caitlin Benyi walked to load the bases; Mejia scored on a wild pitch and Mims drove in two runs with a single.  Zaplatosch hit a solo HR in the 5th for a 7-2 score.  The Bruins would add three more, while Keira Goerl fanned 12, striking out the side in the 6th; every OSU batter struck out at least once.  UCLA completed its home schedule with the 9-1 win Sunday.  Benyi homered twice, while Zaplatosch added another round-tripper and Auelua hit a walk-off homer.  Steph Adams scored the OSU run on a homer off Michelle Turner. 

Florida State ’s sweep of Georgia Tech extended its 2003 winning streak to 24 games, tying UCLA for the season’s longest.  The Seminoles also became the first ACC team to go through the conference season undefeated (8-0).  In the first game, Casey Hunter pitched a two-hitter, for her 13th straight decision and 12th shutout.  In Game Two, FSU scored six runs off ACC Rookie of the Year Jessica Sallinger.  Jessica van der Linden won her 11th straight, striking out 11.  Tatiana George homered in both games.

DePaul, which swept C-USA rival Louisville on Saturday, closed its regular season Sunday with a 6-2 win over the Cardinals.  The Blue Demons won all 17 home games.  This game saw three lead changes, DePaul breaking a 2-2 tie on Sarah Douglas’ rbi single and icing the game on Saskia Roberson’s three-run HR in the 6th.  Lindsay Chouinard improved to 28-4 with the win.

Georgia’s romp over Alabama was somewhat surprising; the Bulldogs had the best record in the SEC East, the Tide the best record in the West.  Those standings were of no import on Sunday’s game in which Georgia clinched its first Southeastern Conference title. (See tournament bracket below)  Nicole Barber hit two homers, had 4 rbi, and scored four of the twelve runs.  Both teams, who split on Saturday, were explosive.  ‘Bama scored two runs on back-to-back HRs in the 2nd to tie at 2-all.  Barber’s two-run homer put Georgia up 4-2, but Capper Reed hit a two-run shot to tie again.  The Bulldogs took an 8-4 lead in the 4th, and Barber hit another two-run homer in the 5th .  Ashley Godfrey hit a final two-run HR in the 6th.  Michelle Green won her 37th game.

Northwestern upset Illinois Sunday, the second time in two days, to advance to the Big Ten tournament for the first time since 2000.  The Wildcats had to win four games in a row to clinch the 6th spot in the tournament – which will now be held in Iowa City after Michigan lost twice to Michigan State , giving Iowa the regular season title.  The sixth-seeded Wildcats will play the third-seeded Spartans on Thursday.  Northwestern knew it had to win today’s game after Penn State defeated Ohio State 6-2; a tie would have gone to the Nittany Lions.  Today, Carri Leto scored the first run on an rbi by Erin Mobley.  Rachel Corridi scored for Illinois on an rbi groundout by Erin Montgomery.  A bases-loaded wild pitch by reliever Amanda Fortune allowed Brett Nakabayhashi to score the winning run.  Courtnay Foster won, improving to 15-8.

Michigan needed to win one of two games from Michigan State but the surging Spartans denied them Saturday in Lansing on a 7th inning homer, and, today at Ann Arbor, sent the Big Ten regular season crown off to Iowa City by beating Michigan 2-1.  The Wolverines, seeking their third straight conference crown, finish 2nd, the Spartans 3rd. Iowa is 13-4, Michigan 13-5, Michigan State 13-6.  Illinois , Minnesota and Northwestern round out the tournament, which begins Thursday.  Sunday’s game marked the first time MSU had beaten Michigan twice in any season since 1983.  Michigan outhit MSU 9-5 but an error allowed an unearned run to score; Michigan stranded eight runners.  The Wolverines were leading 1-0 into the 3rd when Jessica Beech, who won in relief, and Margaret Schick singled.  With two outs, Natalie Furrow singled down the left field line; the ball got away from LF Melinda Moulden and rolled to the wall; both runs scored on the hit and error.  With two out in the bottom of the 3rd, Jessica Merchant doubled with Monica Schock on first, but Schock was thrown out at home.  Beech, who relieved Stephanie Christner, and MU’s Marissa Young held off opposing hitters the rest of the way. 

Florida upset LSU in a key SEC contest Sunday, 4-0.  The teams, which split Saturday’s twin bill when Gator Lindsay Cameron hit a grand slam HR, won today behind Jenny Gladding’s three-hit, 11K pitching, the first Gator to win 20 games since 2000.  Mandy Schuerman hit a two-run homer, while Gladding hit the first triple of her career.  The fifth-seeded Gators will play fourth-seeded South Carolina at 6pm Thursday in the SEC tournament in Plant City , FL.

Arizona State downed California 1-0 on Phelan Wright’s home run to left center field in the top of the ninth inning.  Ashley Werschky won in relief of Desiree Serrano who came back in the 9th and got the save.  Cal , which had eight hits but stranded 14 after loading the bases in the first and last innings, was poised to win in the 7th but a Sun Devil double-play ended the threat.  Kelly Anderson, working in relief, took the loss.

CS Fullerton’s Jenny Topping was 6-7 in the double-header sweep of Cal Poly with five rbi.  The Titans had 13 hits in the 9-1 game,.including three each by Topping and Jodie Cox who had 4 rbi.  Cox and Krista O’Hanion homered, as did AmyJo Nazarenus for Cal Poly.  Gina Oaks won; Jamie Gelbart took the loss.  The Titans banged out 11 hits in the 7-1 game, Topping collecting 4 rbi on 3 hits including a homer.  Jodie Cox got the win over Eva Nelson.  Roxy Moran pitched two innings in relief of Cox.

Oregon edged Washington 6-5 by scoring four runs at the start.  Andrea Vidlund hit a ball off the wall for two runs and scored on Alyssa Laux’ double, who scored on Jenn Poore’s single.  The Huskies, who lost their final home game, tied the game in the 2nd on three hits: a Megan Owen double, an Amanda Oleson single, a Rita Roach single and a bases-loaded walk to Kristen Rivera.  Oregon walked Jaime Clark to load the bases after Oleson and Roach executed a double-steal.  Run-scoring singles by Janell Bergstrom in the 3rd and Beth Boskovich in the 4th put the Ducks up 6-4.  Olseon scored on a Kathy Fiske single for the Huskies’ 5th run.  Ashley Boek took the loss in relief.  Anissa Meashintubby was the winner with Amy Harris in relief.  Washington has lost eight of its last ten games.

UC Davis won its third consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association championship Sunday with the sweep of Sonoma .  Susan Churchwell homered in the second game, and also struck out 11 batters.

Louisiana-Lafayette swept Western Kentucky on Sunday.  In the first game, Brooke Mitchell won her 20th, retiring 16 batters in a row after an rbi bunt single in the top of the 1st.  The Ragin Cajuns scored every which way, including two runs on a double steal and error.  Brittany Bryant had a two-run double; Danyele Gomez had a two-run single.  In Game Two, Becky McMurty hit two homers in support of pitcher Afton Thoms.  Bryant had a solo homer.

UTA used a four run fifth inning to break open a scoreless game. Stephanie Owens led off the top of the frame as she beat out an infield single and advanced to third as an attempted sacrifice bunt by Ali Lommel was misplayed by the NSU defense. With runners on the corners, Jennifer English reached on a fielders choice as the Lady Colonel defense tagged out Lommel while Owens scored the first run of the game. Back-to-back singles by Falon Kwasnick and Melanie Williams loaded the bases for the Lady Mavs with only one out. A grounder back to the pitcher by Beverly Rowan should have allowed NSU to get the force out at home, but catcher Sarah Eads dropped the ball and allowed not one, but two runs to score. A single through the right side by Autumn Petrino plated Williams to give UTA a 4-0 advantage.

After NSU reliever Dione Meier gave up back-to-back walks to lead off the top of the sixth frame, Kwasnick singled up the middle to plate Owens from second and add one run to the Lady Mavs cause.

UTA took a 6-0 lead in the top of the final frame after a Crystal Krebs solo shot over the left field wall.

NSU first baseman Lindsey Coleman spoiled starter Katy Cox's no-hitter and shutout in the bottom of the seventh when she knocked a solo home run over the left field wall. Teri Clouatre added another home run in the inning but the Lady Colonels couldn't manage a rally as UTA took home the 6-2 win, and the trophy.

Cox earned her fourth win of the tournament, improving her record to 27-6 on the year. Cox struck out seven while being touched for only two hits.   Cox was named tournament MVP.

Cox, the 2003 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, was named the tournament most valuable player after starting three games for UTA, entering the other in relief and coming away with a 4-0 record.

Massachusetts won the Atlantic 10 regular season title Sunday with the sweep of George Washington.  Kaila Holtz pitched a perfect game; she was also 5-5 at bat with a grand slam and six rbi.  Jenna Busa threw a one-hitter to win the second game.  U Mass has won the A-10 title for 13 consecutive seasons.

 

Lindsay Gardner Carri Leto Phelan Wright
Lindsay Gardner Carri Leto Lindsey Cameron Phelan Wright
Tatiana George hit her second HR of the day in FSUs sweep of Georgia Tech. Caitlin Benyi Katy Cox was named the 2003 Southalnd Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Tatiana George Angela Brewer Caitlin Benyi Katy Cox

SEC TOURNAMENT ROUNDS 1 AND 2

Thursday, May 8
Game 1 - No. 3 LSU v. No. 6 Tennessee 12 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 2 Alabama v. No. 7 Auburn 2 p.m.
Game 3 - No. 4 South Carolina v. No. 5 Florida 6 p.m.
Game 4 - No. 1 Georgia v. No. 8 Mississippi State 8 p.m.

Friday, May 9
Game 5 - LSU/Tennessee Loser v. Alabama/Auburn Loser 12 p.m.
Game 6 - South Carolina/Florida Loser v. Georgia/Mississippi State Loser 2 p.m.
Game 7 - LSU/Tennessee Winner v. Alabama/Auburn Winner 6 p.m.
Game 8 - South Carolina/Florida Winner v. Georgia/Mississippi State Winner 8 p.m.

Missouri Valley Conference

#5 Evansville will play #4 Creighton on Thursday.  Evansville is defending champion.  The winner will play #1 Illinois State . Illinois State won the MVC regular season championship, sweeping SMS.  #6 SMS will play #3 Wichita State .  The winner will play #2 Southern Illinois .

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