Lehigh Softball Takes Two From Boston U. To Claim 14th Patriot League Title

Sunday, May 14

10AM

Lehigh University

35-18

Boston U.

25-26

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Lehigh	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	1
Boston University	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2

Lehigh Softball Takes Two From Boston U. To Claim 14th Patriot League Title

5/14/2017 3:33:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Get your Lehigh Patriot League Champions T-Shirt!

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior Christine Campbell was determined to not make her last time in the pitcher's circle at Leadership Park the last time she would put on the brown and white of Lehigh. Campbell was outstanding on Sunday, pitching all 14 innings as Lehigh defeated Boston University twice, by scores of 1-0 and 4-3 to win the program's 14th Patriot League softball championship.

Campbell went the distance in both games, allowing just seven hits on the day, including a two-hit shutout in game one, and with the tying run aboard and two outs in the seventh inning of game two, she struck out Alex Heinen, the league's leader in home runs and RBIs, to end the game and set off the Lehigh celebration.

For the tournament, Campbell went 4-0, pitching 27 innings allowing seven runs, only three of them earned, striking out nine and walking just five on her way to being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Campbell was joined on the All-Tournament team by senior Vicky Lattanzio, junior Rachel Timberman and freshman Mary-Hannah Smith. Lattanzio set a Patriot League Tournament record with nine RBIs, all of which came on Friday when she recorded four against Boston University and five against Army.

With the two wins, Lehigh improves to 36-18 on the season. The Mountain Hawks will make their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, their ninth in the last 14 years and their first since 2015.
"This isn't the most talented group we've ever had but they've been an absolute joy to coach," Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan said. "They work incredibly hard every single day. They are incredibly cohesive and truly are a family."

(5/14/2017) Softball vs. Boston U, PL Championship

After two scoreless innings in game one, Lehigh took the lead in the top of the third. Timberman led off the inning with a walk. After reaching third on a sacrifice bunt and groundout, Smith hit a line drive off BU shortstop Moriah Connolly's glove into left field for a single that scored what turned out to be the only run of the game.

The lone run turned out to be enough for Campbell who was masterful in the circle. Boston University did not get a runner to second base the entire game as Campbell allowed only two hits, both to Kaitlin Sahlinger and three baserunners total, while striking out two and walking none.

"She was focused and ready to go," Troyan said about Campbell. "That's been the indictment on Christine on her entire career – that when she's not focused she'll walk some people or hit some batters – and she was laser-focused today. I couldn't be more proud of her."

Makinna Akers took the loss for Boston, giving up the one run on six hits in seven innings, striking out none and walking two.

The game one win forced the winner-take-all second game, and Campbell once again took the ball for the Mountain Hawks.

"She was incredible," Lattanzio said of her classmate Campbell. "That's the best I've ever seen her pitch. I knew as soon as we started that she was locked in and that in her eyes you could see she wasn't losing."

In game two, Boston University jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first. The Terriers put runners on first and second for Heinen who laced a single back up the middle scoring one run. An error on the throw to second when Heinen tried to advance, could not be handled by Timberman, allowing the second run to score.

Timberman made up for her error in a big way in the second inning. Sophomore Ashley Quidolit Rabago singled and junior Katie Schultz reached on an error setting up a first and second situation for Timberman. She just missed a three-run home run, settling for a game-tying two-run double off the top of the right-center field fence.

In the bottom of the third, Lehigh loaded the bases against starting pitcher Kali Magane with two walks to Smith and Lattanzio, and a single by junior Carolyn Wright. Boston University then brought in Akers and got Rabago to hit a grounder to the second baseman. However, the throw to the plate was late allowing Smith to score the go-ahead run. Schultz then knocked in pinch-runner Lindsey Phillips with a single to right field, giving the Mountain Hawks a two-run advantage.

In the seventh BU was able to pull within a run when Gabi Martinez singled home Emily Morrow who had also singled earlier in the inning. Campbell buckled down with the tying run on base, getting Heinen to swing and miss at a 1-2 pitch to end the game.

"We told the team that Boston only had to win one, so there was absolutely no pressure on us," Troyan said. "All we had to do was play free. Christine certainly pitched free. We played great defense behind her and came up with the clutch hitting. Whenever you win two one-run games like that it's well played softball."

Lattanzio added, "This entire semester we have been working so hard to bring the team cohesiveness to a level that where in moments like this where we have all the pressure on our backs we could pull it off. Our team has worked so well together this year. We wanted to do as much as we could to bring the trophy home."

Lehigh will learn its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday night when the NCAA selection show airs on ESPN2 at 10 p.m.

Story with contributions from Adam Grossman