Lehigh University
Colgate
Mountain Hawks a game away from title after DH sweep
4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Bethlehem, PA – The Mountain Hawks took care of business on Saturday afternoon, and after sweeping Colgate are now just a game away from clinching their sixth straight Patriot League regular season title. Lehigh got complete game victories from Heather Hamasaki and Kate Arico in defeating the Raiders 6-0 and 3-2.
In the first game, Hamasaki finally got some of the run support she has been lacking at time this season, as Lehigh scored two in the fourth and four in the sixth to cruise to the six-run win. Hamasaki was her usual dominating self in throwing her fifth complete game shutout of the season. Hamasaki scattered four hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking three as she improved to 9-8 on the season.
On Senior Day, first baseman Liz Gripp showed what she has meant to the Lehigh softball program, collecting two hits, including the game-winning single in the bottom of the fourth to plate Erin Hengemuhle and Mary Wieder.
In the sixth, Lehigh erupted for four runs, with the big hit being an RBI double by Kelly Kliewer that scored two.
The second game was much closer. The Mountain Hawks got on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the first inning. With two runners aboard, Hengemuhle singled, scoring Jessica Young and Wieder. But Colgate would fight back, scoring a run in each of the second and third innings to knot the score at 2-2.
The score would remain tied through the middle innings, when Lehigh came through in the bottom of the sixth. Gripp singled to lead off the inning, and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Julie Sterrett. After Kelly Kliewer popped out to the catcher, freshman Mendy Martin came through with the two-out RBI single to left to make the score 3-2.
Arico then shut down the Raiders in the top of the seventh to earn her 13th victory of the season (13-3). For the game, Arico gave up 2 runs on seven hits, striking out one.
“These were two of our better performances on the year,” said head coach Fran Troyan after the game. “In the first game, we finally got Heather (Hamasaki) some runs, and when we do that she is pretty tough to beat. She had great command of all her pitches out there today. In the second game Colgate did a great job of battling back, but our team really kept their composure, especially Kate Arico on the mound. Mendy Martin just had a clutch base hit when we needed it, and that was that. But we still have business to take care of tomorrow, so that’s our focus now.”
With the two wins, Lehigh is now 36-14-2 on the year (16-2 PL), while Colgate fell to 32-14 (11-7). The two teams will finish their Patriot League slate on Sunday, with a doubleheader at Kaufman Field starting at
