BOX SCORE
Ithaca, NY (May 8, 2008) – Freshman Kate Steiner (Walnutport, PA/Northampton) and junior Amanda Kensecki (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) combined for eight hits and seven RBI’s leading the DeSales University softball team past Lebanon Valley College, 10-3, in the first round of the NCAA Regional Tournament on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Ithaca College.
The Bulldogs improve to 28-13 with the win and advance to the winner’s bracket second round where they will meet the tournament’s top seed, Ithaca College, at 2:00 pm on Friday afternoon. The Flying Dutchmen fall to 27-10 with the loss and fall to the loser’s bracket where they will take on Defiance College in the second round at 10:00 am.
After a scoreless first inning the Bulldogs started its offensive attack as Kensecki led off the top of the second inning with a single thru the left side and Steiner got DSU on the board launching a two-run home run, her eighth of the season, well over the left-field fence, staking DeSales to a 2-0 lead.
LVC countered with a single run in the bottom of the second inning, but the Bulldogs answered in the top of the third as sophomore Kerri Andrews (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) ripped an RBI single to left-field plating junior Maddie Roxandich (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) and Kensecki knocked Andrews in with a double to left center giving DSU a 4-1 lead.
Junior Jamie Pfitzenmayer (Annandale, NJ/Hunterdon Central) kept DSU rolling in the fourth knocking in Steiner with a double down the left-field line and Steiner continued her hot hitting in the fifth plating Kensecki and junior Kelly Moran (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) with single up the middle.
LVC threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring two runs with no one out and had runners on first and third with one out before freshman Jen Lococo (Easton, PA/Freedom) got two ground outs to end the threat. The Bulldogs plated three insurance runs in the seventh as Steiner smoked a triple to straight away center field knocking in Andrews and Kensecki and scored on a throwing error by the shortstop to put the Bulldogs on top, 10-3.
Steiner finished the game 4-for-4 (including a home run and triple) with three runs scored and six RBI’s, while Kensecki was also 4-for-4 with three more runs scored and one RBI. Andrews had one hit, one RBI and two runs scored and Pfitzenmayer also had an RBI in the victory. Lococo notched her 12th win of the season and her 18th complete-game of the season scattering eight hits over seven innings, allowing three runs, walking four and striking out six.
The game on Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm can be followed via both LIVE Stats and by listening online to Ithaca’s local radio station. You can access both of these options at the following link – CLICK HERE.