Behrend Runs Into Powerful Second Seeded Ithaca Bombers Squad
The
seventh-seeded Behrend softball team played their first game of the NCAA
tournament Wednesday, May 11 against second-seed and tournament host Ithaca
College. Behrend received a tournament bid after beating Pitt-Bradford to
capture the AMCC Championship, while the Bombers earned a spot for winning
the Empire Eight Championship.
Both teams started off slow at the plate, Behrend managed one hit through the first two innings while Ithaca was held hitless. The Bombers broke the silence in the bottom of the third, stringing together a series of singles and stolen bases that would score four runs and leave three stranded.
Nikki Kaschauer (South Park/South Park) got her second hit of the day when she led off the fourth with a double to the center field wall. Rachelle Lawrence (Warren Center/Northeast Bradford) would drive her in with a double of her own, just fair down the left field line.
The Bombers would load the bases again in the bottom of the fourth. Ithaca would score two off a Behrend error, before Kaitlyn Dulac drove a three-run homer out of Kostrinsky Field, putting the Bombers up 9-1. A scoreless top half of the fifth inning put an end to the game.
Kaschauer and Lawrence led Behrend at the plate, Kaschauer went two-for-two with a double and a run while Lawrence was one-for-two with a double and an RBI. Julie Koman (Mckees Rocks/Montour) pitched three innings, giving up seven earned runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out two.
Carly Myers starred on the mound for Ithaca, pitching all five innings and giving up one run on four hits, and striking out three.
Behrend drops to 0-1 in the
tournament and will play Union College on Friday, May 11 at 10:00 a.m.
Union, who is also 0-1, lost to Western Connecticut State in their first day
of action.
NCAA Northeast Region Tournament Website:
http://bombers.ithaca.edu/News/softball/2006/5/9/sball
ncaaregionalhome.asp?path=softball