Softball Splits Doubleheader with Seton Hall

Game one box - [pdf] [html]

Game two box - [pdf] [html]

STORRS, Conn. (April 13, 2008) - The University of Connecticut softball team split its doubleheader with Seton Hall on Sunday. The Huskies won game one 3-2, before falling 10-3 in the night cap. UConn is now 18-16 overall and 7-3 in the BIG EAST. The Pirates are 17-22 and 4-10.

After two scoreless innings in game one, the Huskies struck first with a run in the bottom of the third when Erin Burtner (Jefferson, Md.) hit her second home run of the season.

Seton Hall took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Leah Menichetti hit a two-run home run off starter Tricia Sullivan (New Bedford, Mass.). The Huskies answered right back in the bottom of the inning when Jillian Ortega (Aberdeen, N.J.) tripled to right field to score Roy and tie the game at two. Two batters later, Sarah Neuschwander (Chugiak, Alaska) singled home Ortega to give Connecticut a 3-2 lead.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Menichetti reached first on an error. The next batter Nalin Bennett hit a shot to the left field gap, but Burtner was able to track it down and make a nice running catch to preserve the win.

Burtner was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Ortega was 2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI. Sullivan pitched a complete game, allowing two earned runs on five hits, while striking out five for her 11th win of the season.

In game two, after the Pirates scored one run in the top of the first, UConn answered with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. With Micah Truax (South Glen Falls, N.Y.) on third and Julie Towers (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) on first, Burtner laid down a squeeze bunt. Truax scored and after the pitcher threw to first base to retire Burtner, they attempted to throw Towers out at second base. The first baseman's throw sailed into centerfield, and Towers came around to score and give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.

The lead would be short lived as Seton Hall scored four runs in the top of the third off starter Rachael Crossin (Fairless Hills, Pa.). Kristina Tolles (Southington, Conn.) came in and threw three shutout innings from there, but the Pirates erupted for five runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away. The Huskies did manage one more run in the bottom of the seventh when Jessica Arremony (Griswold, Conn.) doubled home Towers.

In game two, Towers was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Truax was 2-for-3 with one run scored.

UConn returns to action this Tuesday, April 15 when they host Quinnipiac at 3:30 p.m. The game will be taped for Cox Sports Television and shown on a tape delay basis on Thursday, April 17 at 8:00 p.m.