Saturday, March 23
Kaufman Field
12:00:00 PM
Lehigh University
3
vs
1
Niagara
Lehigh sweeps doubleheader from Niagara in home opener
3/23/2013 11:29:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In its first home action of the 2013 season the Lehigh softball team snapped its three game losing streak by sweeping a doubleheader from Niagara Saturday at Kaufman Field. The Mountain Hawks took game one 3-1 behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore Emily Bausher, and built a 6-0 lead in support of senior Becca Bliss to take the nightcap 6-3.
Freshman Alexis Watanabe finished with four hits in the doubleheader, including a pair of triples, for Lehigh, as the Mountain Hawks extend their home winning streak to 17 games and improve to 9-9-1 on the season.
The Mountain Hawks used a pair of two-out, three-base hits to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning of game one. Senior Kristen Mitchell tripled to right center and then scored on a Watanabe triple to right center to give Lehigh a 1-0 edge.
Bausher was strong early, retiring the first 13 Purple Eagles before a one-out single up the middle by Aileen Hinton in the fifth. After a sacrifice bunt, Gabby Lustrinelli doubled to left, scoring pinch runner Amanda Ortega with the tying run.
Lehigh went back in front in the bottom of the fifth as senior Emma Capetz drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice and then scored on a single down the right field line by Watanabe. The Mountain Hawks tacked on an insurance run in the sixth as freshman Morgan Decker singled through the right side with one out. Senior Liz Lucas then doubled to right center, scoring pinch runner Lizzy Odren to put Lehigh up 3-1.Niagara brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the seventh, but Bausher got Lustrinelli to ground out to second to end the game. Bausher allowed a run on four hits, striking out three and walking none as she picked up her fourth win of the season. Kim Bryson took the loss for the Purple Eagles.
Watanabe continued her strong production in the nightcap, leading off the bottom of the first with a triple to right center before scoring on a ground out by Decker.
“She did a great job of setting the table for everybody,” Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan said. “When she gets on base, good things tend to happen. She's been a nice addition to our program and she's doing a great job so far as a freshman.”
Lehigh added to its lead with two runs in the third, as senior Rosie Roessel led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error and scored on a pinch hit RBI single by senior Jacqi Kennelly. Two batters later, Lucas singled through the right side to score Capetz to make it 3-0 Mountain Hawks.
“We did a pretty good job with pitch selection in terms of getting good pitches to hit,” Troyan explained. “We forced their pitchers to get into hitter's counts and were able to take advantage of that.”
Lehigh's lead grew to 6-0 on a RBI ground out by Mitchell in the fourth, and then a wild pitch and a run-scoring ground out by freshman Carissa Zito in the fifth.
Niagara (3-14) put together a three-run rally in the top of the sixth, on a pinch hit double by Tashia Daley, and a two-run double by Becky Zill, but Bliss got out of a first-and-third, no out situation when Zill was caught at the plate on a double steal attempt and then Bliss induced a pair of ground outs to end the inning.
Bliss retired the Purple Eagles in order in the seventh to close out the doubleheader sweep. She allowed three runs on five hits in a complete-game effort to improve to 4-3 on the season. Bliss struck out six and did not walk a batter. Lehigh recorded seven hits off a pair of Niagara pitchers, with Jennifer Sansano taking the loss.
The Mountain Hawks and Purple Eagles will wrap-up their four game series with a doubleheader Sunday at Kaufman Field. First pitch for game one is set for noon.
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