University of Connecticut Athletics
Connecticut Softball Splits Series With Seton Hall
5/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 6, 2001
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (May 6) - Fighting for top seeding in the BIG EAST Conference Championship Tournament to be held on May 10-12, the University of Connecticut softball team split an important two-game series with Seton Hall, 3-0, 5-3, to earn the No. 3 seed Sunday afternoon at Cameron Field in South Orange, N.J.
With league postseason play only a few days away, UConn and Seton Hall were trying to avoid a first round meeting with No. 8 nationally- ranked Notre Dame. The eventual No. 4 seed would face No. 1 seed Notre Dame in the tournament opener on May 10. Both teams had 13-6 conference records heading into the second game of the doubleheader Sunday.
After dropping game one with a 3-0 shutout, Connecticut rose to the occasion in the second game. The Huskies and Pirates knew the final outcome would ultimately present which team would receive the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the league tournament. Both teams clinched the last two spots in the tournament on Saturday. Seton Hall's Vickie Lamb would start things off with a solo home run over center field for the early 1- 0 lead.
In the third, UConn and Seton Hall produced two- run innings apiece. Senior Jessica Yanosy (Milford, Conn.) sent an RBI single up the middle to bring in sophomore Elisa Brinkworth (Amherst, N.Y.), who got on base after being hit by a pitch delivered by Pirates' pitcher Christina Shanko and a sacrifice bunt by senior co-captain Sarah Sandford (Carlsbad, N.M.). Senior co-captain Mandy Simjian (Wallingford, Conn.) followed by knocking an RBI double down the right field line to send sophomore Nicole Dubovik (Coral Springs, Fla.) home to take over the game, 2-1. Seton Hall brought the score to 3- 2 in its favor, when the Pirates' Kim Jackson and Amy Mellin hit a pair of RBI singles.
UConn's 6th provided any opportunity to get ahead. Simjian came in the clutch with a base single and was later replaced by sophomore pinch runner Lisa Miller (Little Falls, N.Y.). Miller would advance two bases on a sacrifice bunt from senior Megan Biddle (Bear, Del.) and a grounded out by senior Abbie Link (Chalfont, Pa.). Junior Lisa Girolamo (Ashby, Mass.) hit an RBI single to drive Miller across the plate for the second tie of the game.
The game reached extra innings with both teams trying to find a winning score. Connecticut did so, by coming up with two runs on a costly error by Seton Hall that sent Sandford and Yanosy home for the 5-3 victory.
Sophomore ace Barb Cook (Conklin, N.Y.) took the win in relief, after making her appearance on the mound in the bottom of the fourth. She improved her win-loss record to 15-10, while pitching six innings and striking out three. Cook retired the side 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth and held the Pirates' without a hit or score in the ninth to seal the game.
Connecticut (32-20 overall) finished third in the conference regular season standings at 14-6, while Seton Hall (27-12 overall) finished fourth at 13-7. No. 1 seed Notre Dame will meet No. 4 seed Seton Hall on Thursday, May 10 at 1:30 p.m., while No. 2 seed Villanova meets No. 3 seed Connecticut at 11 a.m. All games to be played at Sullivan Field in Villanova, Pa.
Before heading to the BIG EAST Tournament, UConn has one more single game left on its 2001 season schedule versus No. 23 nationally-ranked UMass on Tuesday, May 8 at 5 p.m. in Amherst, Mass.
Game One Seton Hall 3, Connecticut 0 Connecticut 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 0 Seton Hall 3 0 0 0 0 0 x - 3 6 1UC - Barb Cook and Jessica Bigos. SHU - Misty Beaver and Ryan Barry. WP - Misty Beaver (14-4). LP - Barb Cook (14- 10). E - Beaver (SHU). LOB - UConn 6, SHU 3. HBP - Sandford (UC). SB - Lamb (SHU). Time: 1:41, Attendance: 75.
Game Two Connecticut 5, Seton Hall 3 Connecticut 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 - 5 7 0 Seton Hall 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 8 3
UC - Megan Biddle, Caryn Haskins (2), Barb Cook (4) and Jessica Bigos. SHU - Christina Shanko and Meg Berry. WP - Barb Cook (15-10). LP - Christina Shanko (11-8). E - Smith, Lamb, Kern (SHU). LOB - UConn 7, SHU 8. 2B - Simjian (UC). HR - Lamb (UC). HBP - Brinkworth (UC). SB - Yanosy, Dubovik (UC), Kotynski (SHU). Time: 2:30, Attendance: 75.
