Lehigh closes non-league weekend with sweep of Saint Francis

Sunday, April 27

12:00 PM

Lehigh University

26-18

Saint Francis (Pa.)

24-20

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Saint Francis	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	4	4	0
Lehigh	0	0	0	1	1	4	X	6	9	1

Lehigh closes non-league weekend with sweep of Saint Francis

4/27/2014 4:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In its final home games of the regular season, the Lehigh softball team swept a doubleheader from Saint Francis (Pa.) Sunday afternoon at Kaufman Field. The Mountain Hawks took the opener 6-4 with six runs in its final three at bats and then rode an eight-hit shutout from freshman Christine Campbell to a 1-0 win in the nightcap.

The sweep improves Lehigh's season record to 27-18, while Saint Francis falls to 24-21.

Junior starter Emily Bausher retired the first nine Red Flash hitters in game one before Maggie Creciun led off the fourth with a triple. Creciun scored on a wild pitch to put SFU ahead but Lehigh answered with the next six runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bausher helped her own cause with a double to left center that scored sophomore Jessica Calvini from first.

Freshman Ashley Cole led off the bottom of the fifth with an infield single and then advanced to second on a passed ball. MacKenzie Velasquez sacrificed Cole to third before Alexis Watanabe brought her home with the go ahead run on a RBI ground out to second.

Lehigh built a five run cushion thanks to four consecutive two-out RBI hits in the sixth. With a runner on first and two outs, junior Emma Capetz doubled to left to score classmate Cassie Waggy. Pinch hitter Carissa Zito then singled to center to bring Capetz home. Cole re-entered at first base for Zito and came around to score on a double down the left field line by Velasquez, before Watanabe capped the frame with a single up the middle.

Saint Francis loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh and plated two runs on a wild pitch and an error. Bausher settled in to record an RBI ground out and two strikeouts to close out game one.

Bausher picked up her 11th win of the season, allowing four runs (two earned) on just four hits in seven innings. She struck out seven and walked three.

Ethel Santai took the loss for Saint Francis, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits.

Campbell enjoyed one of the best starts of her rookie campaign in game two, striking out a career-high eight and walking none for her fourth shutout of the season. She worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth by getting Alexis Bower to pop out to Capetz at shortstop and escaped a second and third situation in the sixth by striking out Kate Blattenberger. Campbell improved to 9-7 on the season after striking out Bauer looking to end the game.

The only run of the game was unearned and came in the bottom of the second inning. Calvini led off with a single to center and advanced to third on an error by Creciun, who threw wide of second base while attempting a a force play on Bausher. Waggy hit a ground ball back to Red Flash pitcher Blaire Lauters, who threw Calvini out at the plate, but Capetz delivered a two out single through the left side, scoring Bausher to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead.

Saint Francis out-hit Lehigh 8-5 in the nightcap, with freshman Vicky Lattanzio registering two of the Mountain Hawks' five hits.

The Mountain Hawks return to action with three games next weekend at Army. Lehigh leads Boston University by one game and Army by 2.5 games heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Black Knights have one more game to play at Holy Cross on Monday.

Next weekend's series at West Point, N.Y. will feature a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday with games beginning at 1 p.m. both days.