BULLDOGS DROP PAIR TO BOBCATS DESPITE STRONG OUTING FROM HOUSEAL
April 03, 2010
BULLDOGS DROP PAIR TO BOBCATS DESPITE STRONG OUTING FROM HOUSEAL
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior captain Sami Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) and the Bryant University softball team dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Quinnipiac University in nine innings game one of doubleheader action Saturday afternoon and fell 6-1 in the nightcap. The Bulldogs are still in search of their first Northeast Conference victory of the 2010 campaign.
The Bulldogs (3-23, 0-6) and Bobcats (15-15, 1-2) played eight and a half scoreless innings in game one of the doubleheader before Quinnipiac’s Kelly Wall hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to give QU the 1-0 victory.
Houseal threw 8.1 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing nine hits, just one earned run and striking out seven. Houseal is still in search of her first victory this season.
The Bobcats pitching staff held Bryant to just three hits as
Heather Scwartzburg picked up her ninth win of the season.
Scwartzburg, who relieved Emily Belush, threw 3.2 innings, allowed
no hits, no walks and struck out nine of the 12 batters she
faced.
The Bulldogs threatened to get on the board in the top of the first inning as sophomore Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) lead off the game with a walk. Senior Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) moved Bowen over to third with a sacrifice bunt and freshman Talia Zizza (Reading, Mass.) followed up with a single through the left side to move Bowen over to third. On the next at bat Brittany Lischinsky (Mahopac, N.Y.) grounded back to the pitcher who threw to first for the second out and threw home to nab Bowen at the plate who was trying to advance on the throw.
The Bulldogs picked up two more hits, their last two of the game, in the top of the third inning with back to back singles by Bowen and Coon but were unable to plate any runs.
Neither team was able to score in seven innings so the Bulldogs and Bobcats were heading to extra innings. Finally, with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and Houseal on the mound for the Bulldogs, Quinnipiac’s Kelly Wall stepped up to the plate. Wall hit a towering, walk-off homerun to give the Bobcats the 1-0 victory.
Scwartzburg remaining on the mound for the second game and threw a stellar complete game for the Bonbcats, picking up her 10th win of the season.
Quinnipiac picked up one run in the bottom of the third inning to get on the board first. Bryant finally got on the board Saturday in the top of the fourth inning when Zizza leadoff with her second hit of the day, a single down the left field line. Following an Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) strike out, sophomore Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) reached base on a fielder’s choice. Freshman Kate Murray (Fitchburg, Mass.) followed with a double to center field to plate Martin for the first Bryant run of the afternoon.
The Bobcats re-took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with three runs to make it 4-1 and never looked back as they went on to defeat Bryant 6-1 in game two.
Coon led the Bulldogs going 3-6 on the day. Zizza was the only other Bulldog with a multiple hit day, going 2-7.
The freshmen duo of Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) of Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) split action on the hill in the Bulldogs second game. Jacob picked up the loss in the effort, dropping her record to 1-6.
The Black and Gold return to action on Tuesday, April 6 when they host the University of Connecticut at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated the Huskies in a 1-0 thriller last season.