Softball Drops Two Close Games to Florida State
Florida State Game 1 box -
[pdf]
[html] Florida State
Game 2 box - [pdf]
[html] TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 11, 2008) - The University of
Connecticut softball team received strong pitching in its
doubleheader against Florida State Tuesday, but in both games, the
Seminoles were able to squeak a run home in the bottom of the
seventh to earn two 2-1 victories. UConn is now 5-10 on the year,
while Florida State improves to 18-9. In the first game, UConn
scored first in the top of the second, when Melissa Lucas (Methuen,
Mass.) led off the inning with her third homerun of the season. The score
remained that way through five innings as Tricia Sullivan (New Bedford,
Mass.) was dominant, allowing only three hits.
UConn had the chance to add some insurance runs in the top of the sixth when
Julianne Towers (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) and Lucas were able to reach
first and third with no outs, but the Seminoles' starter Tiffany McDonald was
able to retire the next three Huskies in order to get out of the jam. In the
bottom of the inning, Brittany Osman doubled home Carly Wynn to tie the score at
one. In the bottom of the seventh, Sullivan retired the first two batters, but
an error followed by two singles allowed the winning run to score. Sullivan
finished the game with 6 2/3 innings pitched, allowing seven hits and two runs
(one earned). She struck out five and walked none. Lucas was 2-for-3 with one
RBI and one run scored. UConn got right on the board in the first inning of
the second game, when Jillian Ortega (Aberdeen, N.J.) hit her second home
run of the season. Florida State matched the solo shot with one of their own in
the second inning to make it 1-1. Rachael Crossin (Fairless Hills, Pa.)
pitched just as well as Sullivan did in the first game, keeping the Seminoles
off the board from there until the bottom of the seventh inning. She received
some help in the third after Florida State was able to get runners to second and
third with no one out. She induced the next batter into a lineout at shortstop,
then with Wynn at bat, started a double play that featured UConn tagging first
base for the out then throwing home to tag the runner at the plate. In the
bottom of the seventh, the Seminoles played small ball to win. After getting a
runner on first with one out, the next two batters successfully laid down bunts
that pushed the winning run home. Crossin finished the game with 6 1/3 innings
pitched, giving up eight hits and two earned runs while striking out three.
The Huskies conclude the southern portion of their schedule Wednesday with a
doubleheader against Florida A&M starting at 3:00 p.m. |
