Balschmiter Logs 1,000th Strikeout In Softball's Sweep Of Vermont

April 2, 2009

AMHERST, Mass. - Senior pitcher Brandice Balschmiter continued to etch her name into the UMass softball history books on Thursday afternoon, recording the 1,000th strikeout of her career in game one of #23/18 UMass' (18-6) sweep of Vermont (3-23), 6-0 and 8-2, in a doubleheader at the UMass Softball Complex. She joins her mentor, Danielle Henderson, as the only pitchers in program history to reach the milestone. The win in game one was also the 105th of Balschmiter's career, moving her to within three of Henderson's school record.

Balschmiter entered the day with 990 strikeouts and recorded 12 in her three-hit, no-walk shutout in game-one. She fanned Vermont's Margaret Hilton for the second out in the fifth inning for #1,000. It was the fifth of a string of six-straight strikeouts for the Newark, N.Y. native. She joins Stanford's Missy Penna and Washington's Danielle Lawrie as the only active pitchers in Division I with 1,000 strikeouts.

Junior centerfielder Carly Normandin had the top day at the plate for UMass, going 5-for-6 on the afternoon with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI. Samantha Salato was the top run-producer, hitting a home run in each game and driving in four total runs.

The Minutewomen pounced on the Catamounts early, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Whitney Mollica doubled with two outs, setting the stage for Salato's first homer of the day, a mammoth shot over the scoreboard in left field, her sixth of the season.

Normandin hit a tape-measure shot of her own to right field in the third inning, her third of the year, making it 3-0, while Jessica Serio got in on the act in the fourth with a two-run blast to left, her second of the season. The Minutewomen tacked on one more run in the fifth on a Mollica single to center that scored Normandin with UMass' sixth run.

Freshman Sara Plourde got the start in the circle in game two and found herself in some trouble early. Becki Heimbignor led the game off with a bunt single, advanced to second on a passed ball, and to third on an error before scoring on a two-out single by Rachelle Boone to give UVM a 1-0 lead.

UMass struck back immediately in the bottom half of the inning by putting four runs on the board and bouncing starter pitcher Caitlin Monahan from the game after just one out. Normandin led off with a walk and scored on a Mollica double to deep center. In the following at-bat, Salato hit her second home run of the day, and team-leading seventh of the season, to left-center. Sarah Reeves made it back-to-back round-trippers by crushing her fifth of the year to left center.

UMass scored one run each in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Jill Andrews led the inning off with a single up the middle, the first hit of her career, and later scored on an error. Michelle Libby reached on an error in the fifth and would eventually score on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Audrey Boutin.

The Minutewomen tacked on two more unearned runs in the sixth inning when Kyllie Magill and Mollica scored during a stretch of three Vermont errors in a row.

The Catamounts scored their second run in the sixth inning when Kellin Haley singled with two outs and scored on a double off the bat of Alison Daggett.

Plourde (4-0) went six innings, striking out 11, while allowing one earned run on six hits and a walk. Bailey Sanders closed out both games in the circle for UMass, combining to pitch two shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out one.

The Minutewomen close out their seven-game homestand by hosting Saint Louis in an Atlantic 10 doubleheader on Sunday starting at noon. UMass and the Billikens are currently tied for the conference lead at 4-0.

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