Sunday, May 8
12:00:00 PM
Lehigh University
3
vs
4
Holy Cross
Lehigh clinches regular season title despite 4-3 loss to Holy Cross
5/8/2016 3:35:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh softball team led Holy Cross 3-0 after three innings but the Crusaders rallied to score a run in the fourth and three in the fifth and held off the Mountain Hawks 4-3 Sunday in the final game of their three-game series at Leadership Park.
Kylee Malouf's two-out two-run single in the sixth brought home the tying and go-ahead runs as Holy Cross finishes its season at 8-36 overall and 4-14 in the Patriot League.
Lehigh loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth but failed to score and then put the tying run on base in the seventh with one out but couldn't get the tying run home. The loss drops Lehigh's record to 35-14 overall and 13-4 in the Patriot League.
The Mountain Hawks did receive some help from archrival Lafayette on Sunday as the Leopards won their season finale 1-0 at Army West Point. Despite losing to Holy Cross, Army West Point's loss gives Lehigh its fifth straight Patriot League regular season title and its 21st regular season championship overall. The Mountain Hawks will host the Patriot League Tournament beginning Thursday at Leadership Park. Boston University defeated Colgate on Sunday, meaning Lehigh and BU will not need to make up the final game of their series.
Lehigh went in front in the bottom of the second as sophomore Carolyn Wright singled with one out. After a hit batter and a strikeout, freshman Ashley Quidolit singled to left scoring pinch runner Brianna Gerhardt to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead.
A two-out rally in the third helped Lehigh extend its lead as Wright followed back-to-back singles from junior Vicky Lattanzio and senior Jessica Calvini with a two-run single to left center to push the Mountain Hawks' lead to 3-0.
Junior Christine Campbell retired the side in order in the top of the first to extend her streak of consecutive batters retired to 28 but had to work to strand two runners in both the second and third innings. Mandy McCarthy led off the fourth inning with a single and after a sacrifice bunt, scored Holy Cross' first run on Kelsey Christensen's RBI single down the left field line.
Lehigh stranded two runners in the bottom of the fifth and Holy Cross' Taylor Moss brought the Crusaders within 3-2 as she led off the sixth with a wind-aided opposite field home run to left. Emily Krisanda singled with one out and Christensen reached on a fielder's choice when sophomore Rachel Timberman dropped a throw at second base on a would-be force play. A sacrifice moved runners to second and third with two outs, but Malouf made Lehigh pay for the error, singling off the glove of senior Alexis Watanabe to bring home the tying and go-ahead runs.
Timberman, sophomore Katie Schultz and Quidolit helped Lehigh load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth with three consecutive singles but Crusader starter Gennifer Durham retired senior Alexis Watanabe on a hard line drive to shortstop and then got seniors MacKenzie Velasquez and Morgan Decker to pop out.
"We made a miscue in not receiving a ball at second base which was the difference in the game," Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan said. "If we get the out there we have two outs and Christine (Campbell) is cruising along. They got the big hit. Then, I can't think of a better three kids to have up than our seniors in a row with the bases loaded and nobody out. But that's our sport. Sometimes that happens."
Calvini reached base as the tying run after reaching on an error with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Holy Cross picked up an out on a force play and Durham got Timberman to pop out to second to end the game.
Durham earned the win for Holy Cross allowing three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and zero walks. She improves to 7-17.
Campbell allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, with two strikeouts, but takes the loss, falling to 19-8 on the season.
Wright and Quidolit led Lehigh with two hits apiece, but the Mountain Hawks left 10 runners on base.
Based on Sunday's results, top seed Lehigh will host No. 4 seed Bucknell in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament Thursday at Leadership Park. The other first round matchup pits No. 2 Army West Point against No. 3 Boston University.
Players Mentioned
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