Wednesday, April 22
3 PM
Lehigh University
31-6
7
vs
1
Villanova
21-23
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Villanova
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
4
5
Lehigh
1
0
1
2
1
2
X
7
7
0
Lehigh opens Leadership Park with 7-1 win over Villanova
4/22/2015 8:05:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Weather delayed the long-awaited opening of Leadership Park but when the Lehigh softball team finally took to its new field, the Mountain Hawks turned in an impressive performance in a 7-1 win over Villanova Wednesday afternoon.
Afternoon rain and wind with lightning in the vicinity pushed back first pitch an hour and 15 minutes and limited the teams to a single game instead of a doubleheader.
Junior Morgan Decker went 2-for-2 with three RBI including the first run batted in and the first home run at Leadership Park to lead Lehigh, which wins its sixth straight game and improves to 31-6 on the season.
"I was just pleased that we were able to get something in," Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan said. "The weather was not very good and we had a bit of a delay but I was actually pleased the way our team handled the delay well. We would have loved to play two games today but getting one in going into an important league series against Army is a good thing."
Senior Emily Bausher allowed just two hits in five innings while striking out nine and walking one to earn the win and improve to 16-4 on the season. The nine strikeouts give Bausher 613 for her career and move her past Emily Ling '05 into second place on Lehigh's career strikeout list.
After former Lehigh head softball coach and current women's basketball coach Sue Troyan threw a ceremonial first pitch, Bausher dealt the first official pitch, a strike, and went on to strike out Brittany Husk looking. Bausher walked the second batter she faced before striking out the final two batters in the first.
Freshman Nicole Yozzo led off the bottom of the first with an infield single and took second on a throwing error by Villanova pitcher Kate Poppe. After a strikeout, Decker laced a double to left, scoring Yozzo to give the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Decker doubled Lehigh's lead in her second at bat with a solo home run to right, her third of the season.
Lehigh added two runs in the fourth inning against Wildcat reliever Brette Lawrence. The Mountain Hawks loaded the bases with no outs on a hit-by-pitch, an infield single and an error. Junior Alexis Watanabe slapped a single through the left side scoring senior Emma Capetz to put Lehigh up 3-0. Poppe re-entered the game in the circle and Decker picked up her third RBI with a sacrifice fly to left.
"Morgan had a lot of bad luck early in the season with some hitting," Troyan said. "The softball gods were going to turn things around for her and she's certainly swinging the bat very well right now."
Two more Villanova errors and a passed ball led to Lehigh's fifth run as junior Carissa Zito scored from third on a wild pitch.
Villanova got on the board in the top of the sixth as Husk led off with a double and scored on a two out double by Chase Snell.
Lehigh answered in the bottom of the sixth as Watanabe scored on a wild pitch and Decker, who walked, scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Zito.
Sophomore Christine Campbell pitched the final two innings, allowing a run on two hits while striking out three and walking one.
Poppe took the loss for Villanova, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits. She faced all but four batters and struck out nine and walked four on the afternoon.
Lehigh out-hit Villanova 7-4 and benefitted from five Wildcat errors.
"It's a tremendous place," Troyan said about finally getting to play in Leadership Park. "Our athletic department did a tremendous job of designing the place and building it and executing it. We're just thrilled to be here and to open it up with a win is really a meaningful thing."
The Mountain Hawks will host Army West Point in a key three-game Patriot League series at Leadership Park. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon, followed by a single game Sunday at noon. Lehigh will honor its senior class prior to game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Video of all three games will be available on the Patriot League Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bausher, Emily (16-4)
L: Kate Poppe (10-15)
Batting:
2B: Brittany Husk 1 ; Chase Snell 1
RBI: Chase Snell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brittany Husk 1
SB: Lauren Herschberg 1
Batting:
2B: Decker, Morgan 1
3B: Watanabe, Alexis 1
HR: Decker, Morgan 1
RBI: Watanabe, Alexis 1 ; Decker, Morgan 3 ; Zito, Carissa 1
SF: Decker, Morgan 1 ; Zito, Carissa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Yozzo, Nicole 1 ; Watanabe, Alexis 1 ; Decker, Morgan 2 ; Zito, Carissa 1 ; Capetz, Emma 1 ; Velasquez, MacKenzie 1
HBP: Capetz, Emma 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
rf/1b
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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