University of Connecticut Athletics
Shanko Pitches Softball Into Finals Of Big East Championship
5/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 11, 2001
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Seton Hall softball team, facing elimination in the 2001 BIG EAST Championship, rose to the challenge and defeated Villanova 5-2 at the Villanova Softball Field to advance to the championship game on Saturday, May 12. Sophomore pitcher Christina Shanko (Delmont, PA), throwing for the first time in the tournament, turned in six strong innings for the win.
Seton Hall lost to Connecticut, 3-1, earlier in the day following Villanova's 1-0 upset of No. 8 Notre Dame. The No. 1-seeded Fighting Irish, who lost to the Pirates on Thursday 2-1, were eliminated after two games.
Shanko improved to 12-8 by throwing six innings, allowing eight hits and two runs, one earned. Senior Misty Beaver (Machesney Park, IL), who lost the Connecticut game and had already pitched 14 innings in the tournament, entered the game in the seventh after Shanko allowed a lead-off single and enduced a line-drive double-play. After a single by Jackie Pasquerella and an error by Beaver on a ball hit back to the mound, Villanova's leading hitter, Sara Carlson (.458, 10 home runs), grounded out to shortstop to end the game. Beaver earned her third save of the season.
Seton Hall struck for three runs in the bottom of the second inning, knocking Villanova starter Theresa Hornick, who had shutout Notre Dame earlier in the day, out of the game. Junior Amy Mellin (Petaluma, CA) and senior Kerry Kirk (Ramsey, NJ) each singled to start the inning, and senior Ryan Barry (Rochester, NY) reached on a throwing error, scoring Mellin and sending Kirk to third. Senior Melissa Kern (Montclair, NJ) hit a sacrifice fly to score Kirk and freshman pinch runner Tracy Myhren (Lake Hopatcong, NJ) scored the third run later in the inning on a passed ball.
In the fifth inning, freshman Mary Carroll Smith (Nutley, NJ) and senior Marlena Kotynski (Lyndhurst, NJ) also singled to start the inning off of Villanova reliever Keri Stoller. Senior Vickie Lamb (Yorktown Heights, NY) sacrificed the runners over and junior Kim Jackson (Rockaway, NJ) doubled over the right fielder's head, plating both baserunners to make it 5-0.
In the first game of the day for the Pirates, Beaver took the mound but struggled, allowing three runs, one earned, and nine hits in six innings. A three-run third inning by Connecticut erased a 1-0 Seton Hall lead. In the top of the third inning, Kotynski singled home freshman McKenzie Richards (Modesto, CA), who had singled and gone to second on an error. Seton Hall made three errors in the bottom of the inning that led to the three UConn runs. Connecticut's Barb Cook (17-10) struck out eight and allowed just three hits over seven innings to get the win, while Beaver fell to 15-5. Kotynski was 2-for-3 with the Pirates' only RBI. She was 4-for-6 on the day.
The Pirates need to defeat Connecticut twice on Saturday to be crowned BIG EAST Champions and earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut needs to win just one game to take home the championship. The first game is scheduled for noon at the Villanova Softball Field.
