Bausher blanks Crusaders in opener as Lehigh splits doubleheader at Holy Cross

Saturday, April 11

Worcester, Mass.

12 PM

Lehigh University

25-5, 0

Holy Cross

3-9, 0

Lehigh

Holy Cross

Bausher blanks Crusaders in opener as Lehigh splits doubleheader at Holy Cross

4/11/2015 6:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior Emily Bausher fired her sixth shutout of the season, adding 11 strikeouts as the Lehigh softball team opened its series with Holy Cross with a 6-0 win in Saturday's first game at Freshman Field. The Mountain Hawks had to settle for a split, however, as the Crusaders tied the nightcap at 3-3 with a three-run seventh inning and went on to hand Lehigh its first Patriot League loss 4-3 in 12 innings.

With the split, Lehigh is now 25-6 overall on the season and 9-1 in the Patriot League. Holy Cross is now 4-9 overall and 3-5 in the league. The Mountain Hawks are now even with Colgate in the loss column for first place in the league standings with one loss, but Lehigh has three wins in hand.

Bausher came on in relief in the nightcap to throw six innings, allowing just the game-ending run, which was unearned. She added nine more strikeouts to finish with 20 in 13 innings on the day.

In game one, Lehigh scored three runs in the third inning and three more in the fifth to move to 9-0 at its halfway point of league play.

Junior Alexis Watanabe opened the scoring with an RBI single that scored classmate MacKenzie Velasquez. Sophomore Vicky Lattanzio and Bausher added RBI singles to give Lehigh a 3-0 lead after two and a half innings.

In the fifth, Lehigh's seniors delivered three more runs as Cassie Waggy singled home freshman Rachel Timberman and Emma Capetz followed with a two-run triple.

Bausher allowed just five base runners in the opener including the season high-tying 11 strikeouts to go with just one walk. Freshman Nicole Yozzo led Lehigh with three hits while Lattanzio added two.

Holy Cross used four pitchers in the opener with Gennifer Durham suffering the loss after allowing three runs on six hits in three innings.

The Mountain Hawks were unable to hold a 3-0 lead in the nightcap. Watanabe's second RBI single of the day plated an unearned run to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Lehigh added another unearned run in the fifth on another RBI single by Waggy. A Holy Cross error allowed Velasquez to score a single run in the sixth to go up 3-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Holy Cross loaded the bases with one out following two walks and a hit batter. Emma Keough cleared the bases with a triple to right field to tie the game. Bausher then came on in relief of sophomore Christine Campbell to get the final out of the inning.

Neither team was able to score in the seventh as the game went into extra innings. Velasquez led off the eighth with a single but was unable to score. The Crusaders loaded the bases with one out in the eighth but Bausher worked out of the jam with two strikeouts.

Lehigh put two runners on with two outs in both the 11th and 12th innings but was unable to score. In the bottom of the 12th the Crusaders had back-to-back one-out singles and a ground out moved the runners to second and third with two outs. The winning run scored when Emily Jarvis reached on an error allowing Hailey Mullen to come down the line from third.

Bausher took the loss allowing one earned run on four hits in six innings. She is now 13-4. Campbell allowed three runs on just one hit through 5.2 innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Durham earned the win for Holy Cross, allowing one unearned run on three hits in 7.2 innings of relief. Velasquez went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead Lehigh in the nightcap.

Lehigh and Holy Cross will wrap-up their series with a single game Sunday beginning at noon from Freshman Field.