Lehigh University
Sacred Heart
Strong pitching carries Lehigh to two wins in Florida
3/8/2010 4:45:00 PM | Softball
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. – After alternating wins and losses in its first six games this season, the Lehigh softball team finally put together a winning streak, as the Mountain Hawks won both of their games Monday at the Rebel Spring Games. Freshman Liz Lucas drove in a pair of runs and senior Tiffany Curtis moved to 4-0 in the circle as Lehigh downed defending NEC champion Sacred Heart 4-3 its first game of the day, while in game two junior Alex Cueva hit a three-run inside-the-park home run to support classmate Bri Gaumer, who enjoyed one of her best career outings as the Mountain Hawks beat Bryant 5-2. The sweep improves Lehigh’s record to 5-3 on the season.
Lehigh took advantage of several Pioneer miscues to plate three runs in the top of the first in game one. Sophomore Audra Wood struck out to open the game, but reached on a dropped third strike. Freshman Rosie Roessel then reached on a fielder’s choice while trying to sacrifice. With two outs, Lucas delivered a two-run single to put the Mountain Hawks in front and then took second on the throw home. The extra base proved to be key as Lucas came around to score Lehigh’s third run when junior Carly Potock reached on an error by Sacred Heart pitcher Jen Russell.
Russell’s second error of the game led to another Lehigh run in the second as her miscue allowed Wood to reach and Cueva drove her home with a double to put the Brown and White in front 4-0.
Curtis cruised through the first six innings, keeping Sacred Heart off the board, but the Pioneers threatened in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run on an RBI single by Taylor Froelich and two more on a two-run single by Marissa Montemagni to creep within one before Curtis got Courtney Lee to ground out to end the game.
The Mountain Hawks picked up the win despite being out-hit 6-3 by the Pioneers. Curtis allowed two earned runs and six hits in seven innings while walking two and striking out three.
Lehigh also built a sizeable lead in its second game of the day. The Mountain Hawks went in front 1-0 in the third inning on a short sacrifice fly by sophomore Jen Colquhoun, which scored freshman Jacqi Kennelly. Cueva helped Lehigh tack on three runs in the fifth with a laser down the left field line that got past Lauren McCart for a three-run inside-the-park home run, her first of the year, to extend the Mountain Hawks lead to 4-0. Fernandez capped off Lehigh’s scoring with an RBI single in the sixth inning that plated freshman Kristen Mitchell.
Gaumer took care of the rest in the circle as she went the distance for Lehigh to pick up her first win of the season (1-1). The junior right hander did not allow an earned run and yielded just four hits. Gaumer struck out three Bulldogs and did not walk a batter. Bryant did avoid the shutout by scoring a pair of unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning.
The Mountain Hawks will continue action at the Rebel Spring Games on Tuesday with games against Indiana State at 9 a.m. and Fairfield at 11 a.m.
