Tuesday, April 23
Kaufman Field
3:00:00 PM
Lehigh University
5
vs
1
Columbia
Mountain Hawks sweep Columbia in final home doubleheader
4/24/2013 1:07:00 AM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh softball team eclipsed the 30 win mark for the 13th consecutive season as the Mountain Hawks swept a doubleheader from Columbia Tuesday at Kaufman Field. Junior Ashley Quigley threw six innings of two-hit ball as Lehigh took the opener 5-1, while senior Rosie Roessel's sixth inning RBI infield single broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Mountain Hawks a 4-3 nightcap win.
The sweep improves Lehigh's record to 31-14-1. The Mountain Hawks have now won 15 of their last 16 games, including eight straight and are 17-2 in April. Columbia falls to 21-23 with the two losses.
In game one, Lehigh scored five runs in the first two innings to support Quigley, who made her first start since March 14.
Senior Liz Lucas tied a NCAA record with three doubles and added three RBI to lead the offense. Lucas now has 62 career doubles, two off the school and Patriot League record; and is five RBI short of the league and school mark of 165.
Roessel led off the bottom of the first with a triple to left center. With runners on the corners and one out, Lucas doubled to right center to score Roessel. Two batters later sophomore Emily Bausher doubled to right giving the Mountain Hawks a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Lucas came up again in the second with the bases loaded and two outs. She hit a bloop into shallow right centerfield for a two-run double to give Lehigh a 5-0 advantage. Her third double came with one out in the fifth. Lucas took over the Patriot League lead with 16 doubles.
“Liz is capable of carrying the team on her back,” said Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan. “She has done it in the past in the Patriot League Tournament and hopefully we'll get her to a point where she's ready, willing and able to do that again.”
Quigley retired the first 11 Lions she faced before Alix Cook reached on an infield single in the fourth inning. She issued a walk and an infield single in the sixth but worked out of trouble when Cook grounded into an inning-ending fielder's choice. Quigley finished with three strikeouts in six innings as she improved to 2-2 on the season.
“We came out of the gates really well in the first game,” Troyan said. “Ashley pitched lights out. The problem is we have other lights out pitchers in Becca and Emily. We gave Emily a little extra time off and Ashley stepped in and gave us a tremendous effort today.”
Junior Kelsey Lee pitched the seventh inning, allowing a run on two hits.
Emily Kenyon allowed five runs in two innings for Columbia, while Kalli Schultea followed with four innings of scoreless relief.
Lehigh took an early lead in game two as freshman Morgan Decker singled up the middle with two outs and moved to second when Lucas drew a walk. Sophomore Emma Capetz followed with a single to right, plating Decker to give the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Decker and Capetz helped Lehigh extend its lead in the third inning. Roessel led off with an infield single and moved to third when Cook's throw to second on a fielder's choice by freshman Alex Watanabe sailed into centerfield. Decker followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Roessel. With two outs, Capetz delivered her second RBI single of the game, scoring Watanabe to extend Lehigh's lead to 3-0.
“She's really starting to play well,” Troyan said of his sophomore shortstop. “We made some technical adjustments with her swing three weeks ago. What's helping the most is having played the position more and more. She's still learning the position but she's coming into her own defensively.”
In the fourth inning Columbia battled back scoring three two-out runs of senior Becca Bliss. With Cook on second and two outs, Kayla Shimoda singled to center to put the Lions on the scoreboard. Shimoda then stole second and scored on a single by Mackensy Lakian. Alyssa Swearingen then brought Lakian home with the tying run with a triple to left center.
Lehigh used a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead. Junior Jess Long singled to left and moved to third on a pinch hit single by sophomore Cassie Waggy. Roessel then singled off the glove of Cook at third allowing Long to score the go-ahead run.
Bliss, who was named ECAC Co-Pitcher of the Week earlier Tuesday, retired the Lions in order in the seventh to close out the sweep. Bliss improved to 17-6 allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings. She struck out three and walked one.
Brooke Darling took the loss in relief for Columbia. Lehigh outhit the Lions 10-6 in the nightcap with Roessel, Capetz and Long recording two apiece.
Lehigh close out the regular season with four games at Colgate this weekend. The Mountain Hawks and Raiders will play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at Eaton Street Field, with first pitch both days set for noon. Lehigh needs just one win to clinch the Patriot League regular season title and secure the right to host the league tournament.
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