BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
Center Valley, PA (March 20, 2010) – Sophomore Katie Morrissey (Lanoka Harbor, NJ/Lacey Township) tossed a three-hit shutout with nine K's and junior Jen Lococo (Easton, PA/Freedom) earned her third win of the season with six K's in a complete-game effort in game two as the DeSales University softball team began Freedom Conference play on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Wilkes University, 1-0 and 4-3.
In the opening game Morrissey was dominant in the circle allowing just three hits, walking none, and striking out nine for her first shutout of the season. Only one Colonel (1-7, 0-2 Freedom) reached second base all game long. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the second inning but were unable to score. DSU (7-3, 2-0 Freedom) also had a runner at third with two outs in the third and fifth innings but also failed to push her home.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, senior Kristen Cybularz (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) singled to lead off the inning. Senior Kyra Monarek (Allentown, PA/Parkland) sacrificed Cybularz to second and she advanced to third one batter later on a stolen base. Senior Kerri Andrews (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) came to the plate and hit a slow rolling ground ball in the hole on the left side that the Colonel shortstop grabbed and fired to first but Andrews head first slide beat the throw as the ball went wide of first and Cybularz crossed the plate with the game-winning run. Andrews and Cybularz finished the first game with four (two each) of the Bulldogs six hits.
In the second game, DSU scored twice in the third and fourth innings to open up a 4-0 lead. In the third, Lococo came thru plating Andrews and junior Sharon Yudt (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) with a two-run double just inside the right-field foul line with two outs. In the fourth, senior Emily Hoffman (Laceyville, PA/Wyalusing Valley) had the big hit, a two-out single to right-field that scored junior Kate Steiner (Walnutport, PA/Northampton). On the play, the centerfielder booted the ball, allowing Hoffman to advance to second base and sophomore Shelly McCarthy (Allentown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) to score on the play.
Wilkes got within one run in the sixth inning when Jackie Follweiler hit a towering three-run home run to dead centerfield. The Colonels put runners on first and third with two out in the top of the seventh inning but Lococo dug deep to retire Gina Stefanelli on a fly ball to right-field after Stefanelli had started the day 3-for-5 at the plate.
Lococo improves to 3-0 allowing two earned runs and striking out six. McCarthy had two hits to lead the eight-hit attack as seven of the nine Bulldogs in the lineup had base hits.
The Bulldogs return to action on Sunday when they host Lebanon Valley College in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at Noon. For those unable to attend you can follow the game's progress via LIVE Stats for both games.
