University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Long Island
#24 Softball Crushes LIU, 8-0, Faces Pittsburgh At 4 PM
February 07, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 7, 2009
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Brandice Balschmiter threw a shutout in the circle, while Michelle Libby and Whitney Mollica pounded out three hits apiece to lead #24 UMass softball (2-1) to a 8-0 victory over Long Island to begin day two of the FAU "Kickoff" Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. The Minutewomen will next face Pittsburgh at 4 p.m. this afternoon.
Balschmiter tossed a complete game, allowing just four hits and striking six. Now 2-0 on the young season, the senior right-hander has 94 wins in her career and the shutout was her 47th.
UMass got on the board in the second inning with three runs. Libby, getting her first start of the year at third base, led off with a double, and after one-out walks to Kyllie Magill and Carly Normandin, scored on a wild pitch. Magill and Normandin scored when Whitney Williams doubled to rght-center.
The Minutewomen made it 4-0 in the third when Samantha Salato led off with a walk, was bunted over by Jessica Serio, and scored on a Libby single up the middle.
Meanwhile, Balschmiter cruised through the most of the game, retiring 11 out of 12 batters at one point in innings two through six.
UMass tacked on four insurance runs in the seventh off LIU starter Blaire Porter when Mollica, Sarah Reeves, Salato, Serio, Libby, and Davina Hernandez started the inning off with six straight hits. Serio's hit was the biggest, a double to left-center that plated two.
