Softball

SETTERS SWEPT BY PIONEERS, 2-1 AND 6-0

BRIARCLIFF, NY – The Pace University women’s softball team lost a non-conference doubleheader to L.I.U. – C.W. Post, 2-1 and 6-0, in their 2006 home opener.  Pace drops to 4-6 with the pair of losses while C.W. Post improves to 10-6 on the year.

In the first game, the Pioneers jumped on the board first when Kelsey Cooley (Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) tripled to right centerfield. Cooley would score C.W. Post’s first run of the game on a wild pitch by Pace starter Julia Hunt (Mahopac, NY/ Mahopac).

The Setters would tie the game in the 5^th inning when Sheila Mercado (Greeley, CO/ Greeley West) led off with a single down the right field line. After Missy Dubey (Middlefield, CT/ Coginchaug Regional) dropped down a textbook sacrifice bunt to move Mercado to second, Mercado advanced to third on a wild pitch by Pioneers’ starter Samantha Yodowitz (Suffern, NY/Suffern). 

The Pioneers would retake the lead in the 6^th inning after Katie Younes (Amesbury, MA/Triton) reached base and advanced to second on a throwing error by Pace shortstop DJ Ketchel (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic).  Younes advanced to second a sacrifice bunt by Kelsey Walker (West Hills, CA/ El Camino Real) and scored on a single by Holly Eringis (Tewskbury, MA/Central Catholic). 

Yodowitch improves to 3-2 on the year after holding Pace to one run on three hits while striking out seven.  For Pace, Hunt was the hard-luck loser, dropping to 2-3 on the season after scattering six hits over seven innings while allowing two runs and striking out five.

In the second game, it was all C.W. Post early as the Pioneers tagged Pace freshman starter Kim Troiano (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) for five runs over two innings. In the first, Yodowitz led off with a single to start the game and Jill Fisher (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) blasted a two-run homerun over the right-centerfield wall to put C.W. Post on top 2-0.  In the 2^nd inning, Eringis singled to left center, followed by a basehit off the glove of Troiano by Ashley Marchese (Patchogue, NY/ Sachem East) that moved Eringis to second base.  Freshman catcher Jessica Bryant (Brownstown, IN/Brownstown) would gun down Eringis attempted to steal third base.  After Joanna Moccia (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cover) walked, Yodowitz would follow with double to left center, scoring Moccia and Marchese.  Cooley then singled to right center, scoring Yodowitz.

Kiryl Shada (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) relieved Troiano in the 3^rd.  After getting the first two batters out, Shada gave up a solo homerun to Shannon Kulnis (Flemington, NJ/Flemington).  Shada would hold C.W. Post scoreless through the sixth inning before being relieved by Hunt in the 7^th.  Hunt would scatter two hits before retiring the Pioneers.

Overall, Jackie Sasko (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) took a perfect game into the 4^th inning before giving up a lead-off single to Michelle Brigham (Unionville, NY/Minisink Valley).  Sasko would allow just two hits while striking out two to improve to 3-1 on the season.  Troiano drops to 2-3 on the season.

Pace returns to action when they host Merrimack College on Saturday, April 1^st in their Northeast-10 Conference opener scheduled for 12:00 noon at Pace Field on the Pleasantville campus of Pace University.